Plants in the Midst of Fire and Drought

The recent fires have given me pause. I was heading to work with ashes falling like snowflakes. I feel I must take fire resistant gardening more seriously.

I found the following valuable links:

• Fire resistant drought-tolerant plant list
• A Homeowner's Guide to Fire and Watershet Management at the Chaparral/Urban Interface

I have been wanting to garden in a more reasonable, climate sensitive way. My original home was in Wisconsin. I've grown up loving peonies, lilacs, and tulips (especially Parrot tulips). None of these grow in San Diego.

San Diego is chapparal country. It's beautiful, but not my intuitive type of beauty. I had a lot of frustration with nursing water-loving plants. I noticed that my more drought-tolerant plants (such as Westrigia) looked better in my yard.

I went to the drought-tolerant garden at Cuyamaca College and took these photos. There is a lot of beauty to be found in plants I can grow in San Diego.

Ah, Wisteria! What's not to love? I have a white variety that never seems too happy in my front yard. I hope to baby it until it is happy. My neighbor has a purple variety that is healthly and pretty.

Westrigia is a favorite. I have white flowered in my front yard. Cuyamaca gardens had a light blue cultivar that was pretty.

Spanish lavendar

I find that the spanish lavendar is the most hardy in San Diego. Futhermore, it's happy enough that it self-seeds. I have a white cultivar in my white flower garden in front and the regular purple variety with roses in back. Maybe some day I'll have a nice edging in my back rose garden consisting entirely of spanish lavendar.

Nassella tenuissima

I'm lucky enough that this self-seeded in my garden. I love the way it flows with the wind.

Rosa "Lady Banks" arch

Lady Banks roses naturalize well in San Diego. I frequently notice them beautifying a freeway exit -- thriving despite neglect.

Cistus skanbergii

Many of the cistus species are great. This one made a nice mound.

Calliandra californica