San Luis Obispo Landscaper Blog

Happy Holidays, Plant Puzzlers! Are you enjoying figgy pudding and playing games with family? Our last Puzzler begins today--but first, a recap of last week's Mystery Plant. Verbena Lilacena was the plant in question. Our hint alluded to its "lilac-colored blooms" in the hopes that wordplay would jog your plant cells.

Ready for the Latest, Plant Lovers? Lots of good guesses this week, and some close calls, too! This Mystery Plant was tricky because it bears a strong resemblance to its agave cousins. Many guessers accurately identified the species, Agave vilmoriniana, but then broke into divergent camps in terms of the cultivar, with 'Stained Glass' and 'Variegata' being the top two.

CONGRATULATIONS to our many winners this week! Dendromecon rigida var. harfordii was our Mystery Plant, and these plant-o-files were all spot on: Heather, Alice, Bracey, Mike, Chrystal, Kaveh, Madeline, Becki, Daniel, Mary, and Greg.

Tucked behind The Garden Shed in Cambria awaits Grow Nursery, plant-nerd haven of the Central Coast. Not your average plant purveyors, Grow Nursery boasts not only rare gems of the plant kingdom, but creative twists on traditional garden tools and unusual, artful accessories.

Great Guesswork, San Luis Obispo County! Our Mystery Plant for the week of November 28th was none other than the humble bunch grass Sesleria Autumnalis. We had some very diverse guesses this week.

Leonardo da Vinci said, “Water is the driving force of all nature.” Rainwater harvesting might not be for everyone, but there are still ways to lessen rainwater runoff. We routinely use and recommend Bioswales to remove silt and pollution and slow the water for better ground absorption.

GREETINGS, FLORA-PHILES! We had some great guesses for the first Mystery Plant. Almost every single one of them got the right genus, and most guesses nailed the exact species we were looking for--great work!

Remember Grandma telling you that washing your hair in rainwater made it softer? If we look back a generation or two to Grandma's time, almost everyone had a rain barrel. Despite the benefits of collecting the yearly downpour, however, rain barrels in our area often don’t collect enough water to last through our lengthy dry season.

I originated in the archipelago of the westcoast of the US. I exhibit my sweet, rosy flowers in the later summer months. My candelabra-shaped flower stalks are reminiscent of California native Verbena (even though we're not related). Butterflies love me (what can I say!).

Think You’re A Plant Expert? ...Would you like to find out?? Then accept our challenge to Name that Plant! Take a tour of Mediterranean flora in our weekly competition where we will post a picture and description of a plant, and do your best to figure it out.

Today we find sea levels rising, aquifers being depleted, snowpacks shrinking, and water supplies dwindling. We seem to be increasingly oscillating between periods of intense rain and drought. Many areas have been identified as places where surface and groundwater supplies won't be able to meet future demands.

Soon is the season for bare-root trees and brambles. Blueberry, blackberry, apple, pear, pomegranate and more--these edible yet beautiful woody plants do extremely well in our area as bare-root cultivated crops. Order them now for the best selection, and plant them in early January.