tunamelt,

Moss is a bit difficult, and requires moisture and shade. Google Bloedel Reserve (designed by Landscape Architect Rich Haag) moss garden for an example, but that is in the Pacific northwest boreal forest- very moist.

For turf alternatives, you can use any of the typical groundcovers- lirope, mondograss, vinca, English/Algerian Ivy, jasmines (Trachelospermum), wintercreeper euonymus, pachysandra, ardisia, ajuga and etc. A couple of others that are cool I have run into are sunshine mimosa (you may be too far north for it) and perennial peanut. Google those for more information.

I think jewelweed is supposed to act as a poison ivy balm. But since I don't seem to have a reaction to poison ivy I wouldn't know. It is a very welcome weed in our yard unlike the poisonous nightshade and amanita mushrooms.



Do not eat that one!


We also have plenty of moss in our yard, it likes LOTS of shade and almost no direct sun.

Daniel, you're a genius. Thats what it is. Funny, it looks nothing like the Magnolia trees we have here. Ours are big, green, leather-leafed, things. I still like them, but I like the saucer one better. Now I just need to see if I can grow that in my back yard. Thanks!

Sarah Hamilton, according to the Sunset book, Magnolia soulangiana is "often erroniously called Tulip Tree."

Well that makes me feel better.

moss loves buttermilk. find some nice, cool, shady spots in your yard. spray a little buttermilk on the areas you want it to grow on a regular basis, and it will take off.

Thanks for the info about the moss. I was afraid you'd say that. Right now I have a shady area where some moss already grows, I was just thinking of growing more, but it sounds like that's not the best thing. Although I may have to try the buttermilk trick. The problem I have with typical ground covers is that they also tend to like to climb up trees, fence, sides of houses, etc. I'm not a big fan of vinca, euonymus. I actually hate English Ivy (I think think it's ugly). I like do like ajuga though. What about using herbs (thyme specifically) as an alternative? I'll have to look into the no mow grass. My only issue with that... I'm allergic. Funny; I love the outdoors, but the outdoors don't really love me.

Sarah - I am envious you live in a place that magnolias grow well. They are beautiful trees. I have one growing between my house and my neighbor's but as far north as I am it tends to lose it's blooms every year to frost.

Another overlooked tree, probably due to the "gumballs", is the American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). It is a great fall color and shade tree.

There are some fruitless varieties ('Rotundifolium' is a popular one) but I am unsure of the fall color performance for them.







I have a huge one in my yard (30-36" d.b.h.) that was amazing this fall. I have seen some get more of a maroon-red color as well around my neighbrohood.

d- the code for resizing photos is [ img]link.jpg width=418[ /img]. type one space after the image url and 'width=418' for discussion threads or 'width=300' for news posts (thats the number of pixels you can play with).

I'm so happy you're now playing on archinect!

i grew up around sweetgums. i still find it funny here in the bay area that they call them Liquid Ambers. i understand why, clearly, but it sounds so funny...

"oh right...you mean the sweetgums over there..."

the above image belongs to ash - resizing courtesy of mightylittle™ LLC.

invoice will follow...

Whatever you do, dont use any images from this guy: milambar.fundungeon.info
you'll end up with the mess we had yesterday.

Daniel - Those images of the Muhlygrass were stunning. Let me guess... it's not tolerant up to Zone 6, errr I mean Zone 7. Nothing that fun ever grows well this far north. :-/

Daniel - Those images of the Muhlygrass were stunning. Let me guess... it's not tolerant up to Zone 6, errr I mean Zone 7. Nothing that fun ever grows well this far north. :-/

tunamelt,

It is zone 7-11. See this handout:

http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/MUHCAPA.PDF

e!
on the moss issue, you can take the buttermilk thing further by making a buttermilk/moss shake, just mix it in a blender...
then smear it on whatever surface you want the moss to grow on. works pretty well (we are talking moss here so don't expect overnight result) if the conditions suits the moss.
I made once with a cocktail of different mosses (to maximize outcome
) found in the woods and put it on some concrete sculptures.

there are always chia seeds ;-)

Pandpieri - Where do I get the moss from? Just scrape it off the ground or something? Can you even buy moss to grow in your own garden? I'm thinking I just need to research some other "non-grass"/low-to-the-ground-like-moss alternative. Does anything like that even exist?

is the source for mail order green fuzziness. Or just go out into the woods and collect some specimens.

"Nothing that fun ever grows well this far north. :-/"

Ha-ha. My l.a. history teacher used to work up north, and said the choice of shrubs was practically four plants: yew, yew, yew, and something else. ;-]
(Hey, I swore I'd never use emoticons.)

Arbor-abhor, do you think that's why you think there are no good l.a.'s in California, they're too busy trying to absorb the bazillion plants?

pandpieri, good addition. I have heard that before.

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. I think come Spring, I'll be taking long walks in the woods to find some moss for the moist shady area beneath trees. Hopefully it'll work. Time will only tell.

cool with a moss shop on the internet. Well I just picked it where i found some nice ones, I guess you dont need that much.
sounds great with all the plants you guys can use over at your place. I guess I´ll have to stick with moss (and yew) over here.
Would be cool to take the moss gardens further.... I have always wanted a mushroom garden, but growing those is still a bit of a mystery.

hostas are the state plant of minnesota - every house has at least one clump sitting on the shady north side.

featured:







Urginea maritima aka Drimia maritima or for those that don't do botanical names: giant white squill

found at Easytogrowbulbs.com and Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar.

I am assuming the first image is the squill used in a floral arrangement? I ask that because the foliage in the first image does not match that of the last, nor does it look like typical bulb-plant foliage.

Interesting flower, though the plant looks too much like a leek to me. It would probably look better in-planted with some groundcover- like tulips and hyacinths are typically done.

hey D, it's an exotic (xeric) plant that defies your southern (mesic) experience. it's native to the Mediterranean malta/greece.

that bottom picture is from a commercial grower - hence the lack of ground cover.

but this is what the flowers look like:



over on the [irl=http://www.archinect.com/forum/threads.php?id=51965_300_42_0_]ARE/LARE [/url] thread, another 'scaper has made a first post.

try this link:
ARE/LARE

Just replied.

those are too easy!

cough(pretty picture bump)cough

Hens-and-Chicks (Sempervivum tectorum).

The second one is an aloe, agave or maybe even bromeliad (doubtful) of some sort.

Third one is that blasted "tulip tree" saucer magnolia (Magnolia soulangiana).

the second appears to be an agave.

Can anyone offer some suggestions how to move an improved Meyer Lemon Tree 600 miles in winter? It obviously cannot go on a moving truck because the temperatures would potentially dip below freezing. It might fit in the car but we are doubtful. Can I "schrink wrap" the foilage in burlap and bend the trunk as little as possible for the journey? What other options might I have?

I've got one I've always wondered about, this photo was taken in deep winter, Baltimore, Maryland, on an open field in a former industrial site. They were everywhere:

its a weed.

Well, yeah.

Jeez, you're the last person I'd expect to get all pejorative about plant life, treekillah. :D

Now where's my Roundup?

uhmm I know this is likely to be a challenge of sorts, but can you identify the various plants surrounding the tree (as well as the tree). Also do you think that they are strangling the life of the tree?

What tropical location is this taken? The big-leaf stuff is Philodendron. The tree might be a Ficus or a Ceiba, depending on where this was taken.

Can you give more detailed images of the smller-leaved stuff and of the tree, or at least a description of the tree (evergreen, deciduous, flowers?, fruit? fall color?, leaf shape & form).

The Philodendron can take over the tree a bit, but it usually stays confined to the main trunks and larger branches, probably because high winds beat it up and break it off. It is rarely a threat to kill it.

Daniel, RLA

this is the Caribbean, no fruit seen. I could seen three distinctive plant types - the elephant ear/philodendron - I assume, a much smaller leave one that seems to be vine in nature, the main tree (slightly copper in colour), and another - mid image that is almost flat against the tree trunk

they kinda look like tulips but the leaves seem all wrong to me.

Tunamelt,

A closer and higher resolution image would be most helpful.


Thanks,

Daniel, RLA

look like "California Poppies" to me

Daniel - that's the best photo I got. Sorry. FOG Lite, do they bloom this time of year? They were growing on the side of the road in San Francisco.

Yep, they bloom like crazy this time of year. There's a valley on the 5 outside of Valencia (been awhile so I'm not sure, it was on a trip up to Big Sur from LA) that is absolutely bright orange this time of year.

Sigh, not so much as a crocus bloom up here in New England yet.

Awww FOG Lite, hang in there. They'll be sprouting before you know it.

How 'bout another...

Makes me think of eucalyptus but it obviously isn't

california poppies should be bloomin about now - I'll second FOG Lite's call.

i got a great book for identifying CA wild flowers. I'll share when I get home.

that is a cool plant.

(remember Daniel is an east coast plant guy - those mediterranean exotics in CA might escape his abilities)