Help: A Midwest Gardener Trying To Help A California Friend

Hello California Gardeners, I have a dear friend who lives in the Upland area and I am trying to help him with the landscape in front and back of his home. I have some pictures of what it looks like now, but I am not familiar with the types of annuals that grow well in zones 9 and 10 or for that matter, anything. Can some one give me any ideas or suggestions that I can pass on to him?? He has already bought 3 sweet pea bush's and planted them in squares in cement in and around his back patio....I did a little research on this particular plant and found it to be somewhat invasive, but the nursery assured him it will not invade where he has planted them.

This picture is one of the front of his home which as you can see he has already replaced the juniper's.....I am suggesting he get rid of those tall things in the back there...which I have no idea what they are..... More pictures to come in next frame...
Deann

In this photo is the back patio where the Sweet Pea bushes are planted in those squares.....

Last Picture, a view standing back of the front of the house......I myself think it needs more color.....please any suggestions.....and to think this man has a gardener who comes to cut his grass, and do his yard work....I might add that he is 80 years old.....Please help me out, or I may have to hop on a plane and do it myself.......in which case, I have no clue on what grows well in California.....

Thanks

Deann (A Michigan Gardener)

Oh, one more important factor.......the front of his home faces East and the back west....

Deann

AHHHHH JUNIPERS.... GET THE CHAIN SAW..... FLOWERS WOULD BE SO BEAUTIFUL... PERHASPS LAVENDER, WHICH IS USED ALOT IN THE LOS ANGELES ARE FOR LANDSCAPING...........ALSO BIRD OF PARADISE.. JUST LOVE THOSE FLOWERING PLANTS...MAYBE LESS BARK AND SOME NASTURSIUMS..... ROSE GARDEN PERHAPS.....
ILL STOP IM RAMBLING.....

I like the tall things (in that one pic - they offer privacy from next door). Wonder if a Californian could identify them and say whether they flower or not.

That looks like the bane of my exsistence, Hedera helix. It's does flower but the bloom aren't anything to cheer about. It's incredibly invasive and known to kill trees and harbor all sorts of pest (rats and oriental cockroaches love this stuff). It even has a bad smell to it.

For ideas on how to get rid of it, try http://www.noivyleague.com/index.html. It's hell to remove.

Now some nice spanish lavender, mexican sage bush, or some salvia to replace those junipers would work. He's going to need help to pull thast juniper out though. It's a tough plant.

This message was edited Apr 15, 2005 5:57 PM

He is likely to consent to getting rid of the lawn? If so, there are lots of options. It looks pretty to some people and finished, but it wastes water, requires lots of fertilizer and other chemicals to keep it looking nice. Upland gets very hot in the summer, probably has to water it every day.

I was out playing with the new camera this evening. Here is a nice drought tolerant shrub that should do well in your friends front lawn. As you can see, they can get quite big but I wouldn't call it an invasive plant.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/31470/index.html

Below is a picture of some mature shrubs.

The original developer planted a bunch of these in our development. We have spent a lot of time and effort getting rid of them. They are not bad if you wack them to the ground every year, but they get very woody and quite large with significant die-back. There are a lot better cistus out there with other colors and much smaller plants and less die-back. This plant is good when viewed from afar, preferrably looking at someone else's yard or along the freeway. Flower is nice, foliage color is nice, very drought tolerant, but lots of problems. It requires a lot more maintenance to keep it looking good than most people will give it. I still have some in my yard, on the steepest slopes, but they have all been cut back and will get it again in a couple of months after they finish the spring bloom.

sheran.......He does have a rose garden in the back, and quite lovely, as I said, he has a gardener who cares for his lawn on a weekly basis.

karrie, are you talking about those tall things under the windows?? Because those are coming out. I think they look really bad. Would that Sun Rose take over, it almost looks like we what call here in the Midwest Rose Mallow. Blooms all summer and will grow just about anywhere. Have inclosed a picture for you.

I am really appreciating all of your input, please keep it coming......thank you so much....

Deann

I have to redo my place so I'm just tossing out ideas while I dig through my options. An if your friend ends up feeling overwhelmed, just tell him it could be worse... see below.

gacarnegie.....Oh my, looks like a jungle....what is that green vine growing all over......you probably need Roundup to get rid of it.....

Deann

It's the same thing that is in your friend's yard, screening the view to the neighbors house - hedera helix, English Ivy. You can see where we started to pull it up. It's taken up a week to get that far but now we have a chainsaw muhahaha.

I did go out and take some pictures today and saw a few gardens that have elements your friend might use. The one needing the least maintenance is below The white daisy clump is a santa barbara daisy with verbena and spanish or austarlian lavender in the background and a cape daisy in front.

The sunrose is a different species.

The more I think about it, the less I would do. The lawn is fine in that heighborhood. I would cut back the junipers, staying in the green foliage, otw they will not resprout and keep them cut back/sheared so they do not ever touch. They will become green mounds with a very fine texture. Then you can plant lots of perennials which will provide the color and interest. When they are out of bloom, the junipers along with the lawn will carry the garden with a sense of order. It will look good most all the time and yet there will be lots of interest. Not a lot of change but a totally different feel. Some of the perennials can be some perennial grasses such as muhlenbergia capillaris. Carex tumicola might look good in front. It gets pretty hot in Upland in the summer and there is occasional frost in the winter. Tagetes lehmanni, some bright salvias, osteospermums, other colorful perennials that do not get more than three feet tall will look good. You could even use some smaller shrubs like Abelia grandiflora, so long as you didn't let the gardener lollipop them. That is something only junipers deserve. Sheared junipers develop a very fine texture which is totally different than the normal look.