We hope that you’ll find our tips, advice and even our failures in growing and cultivating will be helpful in your yard. We grow countless traditional garden favorites along with many California native and/or drought-tolerant plants. Be sure to share your insight and experiences by commenting on our posts.
It’s a hot, scorching summer but we’ve got so many flowers at their peak: rudbeckia, zinnias, angelonia, cosmos and more. Many will last until cold weather or frost take them out. Soon we’ll be getting started on planting our fall bulbs and corms, along with other cool weather plants.
I have always loved purple. My cousin Bobbi told me that when I was little, she would ask me repeatedly for my favorite color thinking that it would change because purple isn’t a typical choice for a toddler. So of course, purple is the base color of my garden.
Whether planting for a California winter or early spring in colder zones, these are my favorite flowers that do well in chilly weather. In my zone, 9b, it typically freezes to about mid 20s Fahrenheit and that’s no problem for these flowers. While these flowers will not bloom while temperatures are dipping below freezing, their foliage can withstand frosty weather. So for those of you in colder zones, you don’t have to wait until after the last frost date to plant them. And for those of you in zones 9-10, fall is the time to plant.
My biggest challenge with dahlias: keeping them upright and looking natural. I have tried various methods: tomato cages, teepees, metal supports and now finally we’ve mastered bamboo supports which is the best so far.