I live in Northern California....

[Ecumenist]

and will soon be relocating to Tehama county, actually literally right in the shadow of the coastal range, 15 miles from the Mendocino county line. The property is in a WEird microclimate, in that, even though it's quite a ways inland, it has a coastal influence. A VERY strong cooling breeze in the morning for about 4 hours from sunrise that blows to the west and a VERY strong breeze that blows to the east in the evening which starts about 2 in the afternoon and seems to blow for at least 4 hours. Consequently, it is frequently 10 to 20 degrees cooler than the closest well known town, Red Bluff.
I said all this to say that I want to get a couple of angels trumpets,Desert willow, night blooming jasmine and even if I have to find a way to grow this one inside, a Mangosteen. The property is zone 7b to 8a but the homesite is about 500 feet above sea level. HELP!! the home we're building has a balcony facing the west-southwest upstairs and a covered veranda facing the same dierction, as well as another balcony facing the south-soutwest. This is upstairs as well.

I am also researching a grass wildflower mixture to plan on the proserty which has a gentle slope the goes to almost sea level to the west. We're looking for something that will grow year around,( the grass component) and be well adapted to a mediterranean climate. It doesn't have to a grass, it can be something like a buck wheat that will forn a good root system to prevent erosion as ALOT of water flows during the winter. It would be great if it were to be a nitrogen fixer. any help would be greatly appreciated.

[NMDemDist2]

1. how about iceplant?

http://www.nps.gov/goga/parklabs/library/plantguide/red-pink/iceplant.htm

[Ecumenist]

2. Ooh no... I hate iceplant...

It's used as landscaping plants here on the freeways. I just don't like it because of the succulence and here in northern Californa, We do get at least some hard freezes. When that happens, Iceplant turns brown and looks absolutely awful. We also have rather high summer temperatures,, which has the smae effect on iceplant. I'm originally from Southern California, LA and Ice plant was de riguer in alot of public landscaping projects. I just DO NOT like it. I'm looking for something that is a nitrogen fixer and stays relatively green year round because as I said before, it's a large parcel, (25.34 acres) and we would like to have something that also works as a fire resistant planting outside of the landscaped areas. Do you have access to desert willow seeds or seedling sources?


Hope you enjoyed your day monday...:hi: :party:

[NMDemDist2]

3. nope, I got nothing (in the way of seeds that is)

:rofl:

25 acres huh? wow!

we found a place with 7 in NM we hope will still be around when we sell the house (the Realtor thought it would be)

I'm gonna be looking for some good ground cover myself :D

[Ecumenist]

4. Does it rain in NM in Summer?

7acres... Is it scenic? I hate the desert but there are some parts of New Mexico I could be persuaded to live in, if I had access to a VERY good, consistent source of water. I have a friend who own two large proerties in northern New Mexico and is considering building on one of them.\

Yeah, it's a large parcel but it's VERY beautiful. You can see Mount Shasta, Mount Lassen, (both are snowcapped year around, for now) and to the west, we have beautiful views of the coast range to the west. Gorgeous, I tell ya.

I'm wondering if I cna find a prarie grass/wildflower mix... We already have native larkspur, poppies, tidy-tips, some naturalised paperwhites,native lilies and any number of other lovely wildflowers. I'm worried that when the grown if cut, they'll be impacted badly.

[NMDemDist2]

5. define "scenic"

it's high plains desert, the sky goes on forever, and we get the majority of the 12 inches of rain in the summertime. Very little precip in the winter

and yes it has a very reliable source of water (which is why I choose the area)

I know the area of NoCal you are talking about, I lived in that area for decades :)

Call the Humbolt State University and talk to them, or the County Extension office

both are good resources for local native plant suggestions

as for the poppies and lilies, they should stand a cutting in the fall with no problem and grow back more beautiful next year :bounce:

[Ecumenist]

6. Scenic as in being able to see mountains and plateaus....

a beautiful tableau, especially when you're in the desert in addition to the beautiful sky, complete with sunrises and sunsets.

When I talk about cutting, I'm not just talking about cutting back the plant growth. I'm talking about run a disc to break up the ground.... You still think that they'll be okay afterward?

[NMDemDist2]

7. if you do it after they seed, some should survive the discing

but it will be hard on them for sure

did you see this place for wildflowers?

http://www.wildseedfarms.com/mix_main_page.htm

[Gormy Cuss]

8. Sunset zone 7?

Angel's trumpets (brugmansia/datura) may be tough in your area because they don't tolerate frost very well and don't like breezy locations. I can't grow them reliably in Sunset zone 14 (typical low is above 25 degrees.) I don't know about the other plants you mentioned and my climate is too different to relate -- a marine influence is rare in the summer here. We have bone-dry air.

For grasses and maybe a few other ideas, check High Country Garden's selections
www.highcountrygardens.com

For general info on plants that are native to your area, try the CA native plant society.
http://www.cnps.org/index.htm

[Gato Moteado]

10. brugmansias are tender perrenials in temperate US zones......

....25 degrees for sustained periods will generally kill them back to the ground but in areas where the freezes are limited, they should survive underground and re-emerge in the spring. it's always a good idea to mulch them heavily in the fall. in the mountains in the tropics, where they are native, they grow into small trees.

if the OP meant the other datura (they also call it jimson weed in texas) it will have no problem with those kind of winters. they grow in the caliche soils and can tolerate drought with no problem. it's a native wildflower all over texas (and probably california as well) and while the winter might knock them back to the ground if it gets really cold, they generally come back every year with a vengeance. they have the nastiest seed pods i ever saw!

the two flowers are both in the same genus i believe and they produce similar flowers (large trumpet shaped blooms). the tropical brugmansia blooms hang down from the canopy of the plant whereas the datura blooms point mostly upward.

i had both in my garden in austin and i recommend them both if they'll grow in your zone.

[GardeningGal]

9. Here's another nursery to check out.

I love High Country Gardens, but this one also has seed mixes for different types of climate. I ordered some plants from them last year and have been pleased with them so far.

http://www.prairienursery.com/

[Gato Moteado]

11. a mangosteen?

is that the big mango-like tree that produces fuzzy fruits?

if so, we have those down here. are the fruits any good? i've never tried them.