A dramatic plant with striking, pale blue-green, aromatic foliage and tall spires of white flowers. Very adaptable as long as the drainage and air circulation is good. Cut back in winter. Excellent pollinator plant; deer proof. Full sun, low water, 4 x 4 feet or more when mature.

White Sage is a strikingly beautiful shrub with very aromatic leaves, and flowers that, though small, are profuse and loved by the bees. It’s a plant native to the much drier, hotter chaparral of Southern California. 

Tarweed is in full bloom from late summer through fall, providing pollen and nectar when little else is available for bees and beneficial insects. A great choice with asters, goldenrod and grasses; heavy bloomer, reseeds readily. Usually 4 to 6 ft. tall, full sun, very low water needs.

This species of Gilia is unique to California and very easy to grow. Each plant yields hundreds of half-inch flowers on upright stems surrounded by soft, lacy foliage. Gilia is very attractive to bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Spring blooms, low water, 18” tall, reseeds.

The state flower of California, every garden should have this cheerful annual. California poppies like fast draining soil and plenty of sunshine but are very hardy and will tolerate poor soil conditions as well. Put out seed once winter rains start. Will reseed easily. 12” high, spring-summer blooming.

The blooms of this native clarkia range from white, pale pink, salmon, and bright pink to magenta. Flowers in full sun or partial shade. Clarkia grows in sandy, well-drained soils, but also thrives in clay soil. Spring blooms, 1-3’ tall, drought tolerant, moderate water for best flowering display.

A beautiful Western perennial, perfect for the border or in a meadow blended with bunchgrasses, poppies, clarkia and flowering bulbs. Summer blooming, flowers open over a long time; full sun, low water, 12-18” tall, needs good drainage, deer ignore it.

Growing Blue Flax from Seed

Blue Flax is ordinarily seen growing wild in meadows and grassy fields, and in these conditions it is a small plant, usually no more than a few linear stalks with a cluster of flower buds that open daily. In a controlled garden situation the plant becomes much more substantial, with multiple stalks emerging from an enlarging clump.

The seeds are a medium size, so they can be tamped down into a starter mix and very lightly covered with a sprinkling of vermiculite or perlite.  I sow the seeds in a 4” pot, outside in a protected situation, either in late summer or in early spring. The seeds germinate within two weeks, and then need another two or three months to develop into a sturdy seedling ready to transplant to a garden bed, or a container. 

Hummingbird Sages set their large flowers on spires that are easily accessible to the hummingbirds. This Salvia is endemic to California with a  natural range that begins at San Bruno Mountain and extends south to Orange County. In its natural habitat, it colonizes somewhat shady areas (unusual for California Salvias) and soils rich with humus.  

Milkweeds are wonderful habitat plants that provide resources for a host of creatures. Various Asclepias species grow throughout the northern hemisphere; some are restricted in range, and others are widespread and adaptable. Diverse cultures during the course of human history have discovered many uses, including medicinal, for all parts of these plants. The genus name is derived from Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine.

In the wild Asclepias speciosa is often found growing in seasonally wet low spots. It is a plant that spreads by underground stems to colonize an area; so be sure to allow it room in the garden. It is drought tolerant, but will respond to water. It can sometimes take a frustratingly long time to establish a blooming stand, but it is well worth the wait!

Flowers in large, showy clusters are produced from late spring to summer. They are beautiful and fragrant, and attract an array of interesting large insects and pollinators, including of, course, the Monarch butterfly. An often, unwanted guest of Milkweeds is the imported orange Oleander aphid.  Although this aphid is host specific, it is best to control populations right away; this can be done by simply washing the bugs off the plant with a strong spray of water. Large aphid populations weaken the plant and lessen the resources available to the Monarch butterfly larvae.

The seed pods produced in fall are also large and showy; especially when they split open to reveal rows of flat seeds, each with a delicate silken parachute. Many invertebrates eat the seeds, and I like to collect the silk, to make it available as nesting material for the songbirds in spring.  Milkweeds are poisonous plants; the deer do not eat them.

In the wild Narrow-leaf Milkweed can be seen growing in meadows, sometimes in large, spread out stands. In the garden it is equally effective in drifts or scattered stands, blending and mingling with other drought-tolerant perennials. The flowers are not large, but there are many flowering stalks, and the plant is somewhat wispy; so it looks good combined with larger leaved sturdier plants and native bunchgrasses. It needs full sun, and little to no water. The plant is not long-lived, but reseeds itself readily; in my Novato garden it often dies out where I’ve planted it, but persists vigorously where it seeded itself! It is drought tolerant and deer proof.

Milkweeds are wonderful habitat plants that provide resources for a host of creatures. Summer blooms attract an array of pollinators, and the plant can host both Milkweed bugs and beetles; as well as the larvae of the Monarch butterfly.  All these living creatures on a Milkweed plant also attract a number of interesting predatory insects, including the large and spectacularly colored Tarantula Hawks.

An often, unwanted guest on Milkweeds is the imported orange Oleander aphid. This aphid is host specific, and will not show up on other garden plants; but try to reduce populations on the Milkweeds right away. This can be done by simply washing them off the plant with a strong spray of water. Large aphid populations weaken the plant and lessen the resources available to the Monarch butterfly larvae.

Gilias are easy to grow, and will happily reseed when conditions are right! Annual wildflowers often mingle with other wildflowers in the Grasslands and sun spots in the Oak Woodlands. Plant them amongst bunchgrasses in the garden; and use wildflowers to fill in around newly planted shrubs.

The ferny foliage is beautiful, and the spring flowers attract many beneficial insects. Seed can be sown in the garden at the start of the rainy season, or in containers later in spring. Songbirds eat the seeds, so be sure to offer protection until seedlings are at least a few inches tall.