I really enjoy watching plants grow and learning about different types of plants. This started as somewhat out of necessity as we had deer at our property in Redmond who insisted on making my expensive landscaping their dinner.
After some research, I figured out how we could live in harmony with deer resistant plants and my perennial garden grew and got better each year as I learned which plants really were deer resistant and which perennials were reliable in coming back bigger and better the following year. Leaving that garden behind, as well as the house, was difficult. Here are a couple pictures – hope the new owners enjoy it when it comes to life this Spring.
Although we do not have deer in California (strangely miss them), there is another perk / challenge – nearly 365 days of sunshine each year. I still cannot believe that I am running around in t-shirts in January with 75-degree days – it is wonderful! In landscaping terms, I have moved from zone 7 to zone 10. What this means is that the minimum temperature has changed from 0-10 degrees Fahrenheit to 30-40 and frankly according to my experience and the average weather temperature guide, it really does not get below 50 here.
Another significant change is the amount of rainfall. Redmond, Washington has an average of 41 inches of rain per year while Newport Beach, California says it gets 10 inches, but I think that is a stretch as we have only really had one storm in the past 7 months that I have been here. This is all a long-winded way of saying that the types of plans that will work here are significantly different.
Source: Seattleseed.com
As part of the Office build, we have pretty much trashed our front landscaping. This means that I have an opportunity to design a California garden with native and drought tolerant plans. So, I began by staring down the rabbit hole with a couple California gardening books in hand and now I am lost somewhere deep in the earth in the land of succulents. Here are the inspiration pictures.
Source: Home Decor and Designs
Source: 5th and State
Source: Home Decor and Designs
Below are the plants that I am hoping to use. For my Washington friends (and others in the yellow zone above), I have also included a group of plants that were my favorite tried and true for Zone 7.
How about you, what are you dreaming about for your outside space?
California (Zone 7) Candidates
Washington (Zone 7) Tried and True