The Mountain Gardener: When good plants go wrong

Thinking about planting a new area or redoing a part of your garden that has gotten out of control? If many of your old favorites just get too big, are plagued by insects and diseases or take too much time to prune, you probably need some new favorites.
The following are some substitutions for good plants gone wrong. This time, it’s going to be the right plant in the right spot.
n Phormiums have been popular for many years. This plant from New Zealand looks great in low-water landscapes, providing architectural interest. But it usually grows much wider and taller than anticipated and next thing you know, it’s taken over.
One cultivar that behaves itself is called ‘Jester.’ This phormium has beautiful 2- to 3-foot-long pinkish leaves that have an orange midrib and lime-green bands near the leaf margins. Combine it with wall germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) for an awesome combination.
If you want a similar fountain-like plant in your landscape that never reverts to plain green, try a cordyline ‘Festival Grass.’ Vivid burgundy red leaves grow 2 to 3 feet tall, arching over so the tips reach the ground. Tiny, pale lilac flowers appear in the summer with a jasmine-like fragrance. Plant these in full sun to part shade and water regularly. Plants grown in the shade have a deeper purple hue, while plants grown in the sun are redder.
n What’s deer-resistant with fragrant gold foliage, uses little water once established and stays compact? Breath of heaven ‘Danny’s Gold Sport’ is a bushy, finely-textured shrub of the citrus family. The showy plant has slender stems and tiny narrow leaves, which give off a spicy, sweet scent when crushed. Bright yellow new growth is upright, growing to 3 to 5 feet tall. It thrives in sun or light shade and is hardy to about 18 degrees or colder. Use it as a foundation plant, an informal hedge or a specimen plant.
n Ornamental oregano is a great perennial to use in a border or to tuck between other plants. Most oregano varieties are wonderful while in bloom, but they offer little interest after the main show is over. Oregano ‘Santa Cruz’ is a better choice. Antique-toned, dusty rose-colored hop-like flowers are offset by bright green calyxes and remain all summer on branched red stems. This plant grows 18 to 24 inches high and 3 feet wide. For a pleasing fusion of color, combine it with penstemon ‘Blackbird’ or another rich burgundy penstemon. Add a grass such as Muhlenbergia capillaris to complete the vignette.
n Everybody loves clematis. They come in so many styles, but there’s always the dilemma of how to prune them for best flower production. Plant a sweet autumn clematis (Clematis terniflora) and your worries are over. They are a gorgeous sight now, covered in pure white, lightly fragrant flowers. Later in the fall, the vine will become a silvery mass of fluffy seed heads. This small-flowered species looks impressive covering an upscale arbor or even embellishing a plain fence or garden shed. It blooms on new growth, so you can easily keep it in check by cutting stems back to 12 inches in the spring. It will bloom well in partial shade, too.
n A smaller cultivar of the old favorite oakleaf hydrangea is ‘Sikes Dwarf.’ This lovely plant provides year-round seasonal interest. At this time of year, the huge, whitish-pink conical flowers turn a papery, soft tan color. In later autumn, the leaves will take on striking shades of crimson and bronze-purple, and through winter, the dry flowers persist above the branches lined with exfoliating copper-brown, cinnamon and tan bark. Oakleaf hydrangeas are fast-growing and accept full sun or partial shade in rich, evenly moist soil. They’re real lookers in the garden.
 Jan Nelson, a landscape designer and California certified nursery professional at Plant Works in Ben Lomond, will answer questions about gardening in the Santa Cruz Mountains. E-mail her at

ja******@ao*.com











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