Natural survivors: rainfall alone waters these dry-climate beauties

Sunset, Nov, 2004 by Lauren Bonar Swezey

Anni Jensen's garden in suburban Richmond, California, doesn't have a lawn or foundation shrubs like other gardens in her neighborhood. Instead, it's filled with native and Mediterranean plants that put out an eye-popping show of blooms in spring, fed almost entirely by rainwater. Shrubs, perennials, and annuals in Jensen's front and backyards are uniquely adapted to her dry-summer region.

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Jensen, a plant propagator for Annie's Annuals in Richmond, drew her gardening inspiration from the natural landscapes she had observed during hikes in California. "A neighbor told me that walking through my garden is like taking a stroll in Berkeley's Tilden Regional Park Botanic Garden," Jensen says. "It's the greatest compliment I've received."

The backyard is as colorful as the front yard. In fact, Jensen and her partner, Carol Manahan, purchased the property for its backyard, which they viewed as a blank slate with great potential. This is where Jensen regularly tries out new annuals and perennials, mostly from seeds and cuttings, and tends heirloom and English landscape roses that bloom vigorously on little or no supplemental water. Salvias and unusual flowering shrubs, which Jensen calls her "hummingbird buffet," enhance the plantings.

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Most garden water is reserved for the couple's organically grown vegetables, berries, and fruit trees. "It's worthwhile to grow them here," says Jensen. "Otherwise I'd have to drive far to buy them."

The garden's main bloom show begins in late winter and peaks in spring. By midsummer, many plants go dormant--typical for plants from Mediterranean climates where warm, dry summers follow mild, wet winters. (Summer dormancy is one of their survival mechanisms for times when water is scarce.)

But in summer, spent flowers on annuals such as California poppy, jewelflower, farewell-to-spring, and Nigella hispanica set and drop their seeds. When the first rains come, seeds germinate, plants perk up, and the cycle begins again.

RELATED ARTICLE: Anni's fall planting tips

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Fall is an important time in Jensen's garden. That's when most new plants go into the ground. Jensen's advice follows.

* Plant before rains come. That way, seedlings and transplants can take advantage of rainfall to establish their roots. (When rainfall is light, give young plants supplemental waterings.)

* Sow wildflower seeds directly in the ground. Anni Jensen scatters seeds after the first or second rain, then rakes them into the soil.

* Start seeds of other plants in containers. Drop the seeds on top of fine potting soil, then lightly cover them with more soil; leave tiny seeds uncovered. Don't let the soil dry out, and give seedlings bright light so they don't get lanky.

* Transplant. After seedlings are a few inches high, transplant them into the garden. Once they get established, many of Jensen's annuals self-sow, carrying on the bloom show with little help from her.

RELATED ARTICLE: Best blooms

Nine of the many great plants in Anni Jensen's garden are pictured at right. Bold numbers refer to seed or plant sources listed below.

A Sunset foxglove (Digitalis obscura). A perennial foxglove with bell-shaped blooms (1).

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B Lupine (Lupinus). This unnamed hybrid grows in Jensen's front yard (1, 2, 4), along with orange wind poppy (Stylomecon hetero-phylla; 5) and bachelor's button (3) in front.

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C Dwarf blue bedder (Echium plantagineum). Blue flowers in summer (1).

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D Cream cups (Platystemon californicus). Soft yellow flowers in spring (1).

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E Jewelflower (Streptanthus albidus peramoenus). Bright purple flowers from spring through midsummer (1, 4).

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F Farewell-to-spring (Clarkia amoena). Large, showy blooms (1, 2). Salmon-colored 'Aurora' (1) grows beside blue-flowered Nigella hispanica (1, 3).

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Plant and seed sources

For the best selections, try one of the following sources.

1. Annie's Annuals

(www.anniesannuals.com or 510/215-1326)

2. Larner Seeds (www.larner seeds.com or 415/868-9407)

3. Renee's Garden (www.reneesgarden.com or 888/880-7228)

4. Seedhunt (www.seed_hunt.com)

5. Trade Winds Fruit (www.tradewindsfruit.com)

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SAXON HOLT