Gardens of native plants are beautiful, support wildlife, and are good for the environment. My rustic garden is a combination of native plants and drought-tolerant nonnatives. Many of the native species bloom in April. All these plants are tolerant of more than 100 degrees of temperature difference: from winter lows of about 15 ºF, to summer highs above 115 ºF.
At the end of April, the Bee’s Bliss sage was in full bloom (and had been all month), a “bee-nanza” for the local hives. The roundtooth ookows (beloved of pipevine swallowtail butterflies) were floating their purple heads among the silvery shrubs of sage and artemisia; agaves punctuated the array of plants. Western columbine, in semi-shade at the base of a blue oak trunk, has been blooming for more than a month, and is a cloud of orange and yellow. This plant gets my vote for the longest-blooming award. Last evening, I saw carpenter bees visiting the flowers, and even a carpenter queen mating.
Photo by Susan Libonati-Barnes.
The California lilacs (ceanothus) have mostly completed their “bee-loved” bloom, in shades of luscious true blue. Still, the form ‘Frosty Blue’ continues to show color. Douglas’ irises, in vivid yellow, white, and pale blue, are lighting up the shade.
I include drought-tolerant non-native plants in my garden. Those that really make an impact in April are lilac (mine is an old-fashioned “lilac” color, and was covered in butterflies when in bloom) and rosemarys (birds and bees alike are attracted to them). Lighting up the gray days of February and March were daffodils, tough as nails and rodent-proof.
By the beginning of May, bush anemone (Carpenteria californica) stands out: cool white flowers against the deep green leaves. This shrub can exceed six feet, so give it space. The most wonderful specimen I ever saw was in the garden of the late Marlys and Max Richman. A ten-foot anemone embraced the trunk of a mature blue oak. The deciduous tree provided shade in summer, but allowed light in winter. Superb.
The sages are coming into their own. My Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii) is in full bloom. Mine is an older form, which we sell as ‘Sweeter.’ It can be used sparingly in cooking. Its glorious beads of purple flower clusters are threaded on the stalks. Mine is next to a path so I can brush by the plant for a burst of fragrant sage aroma. It is a large plant that can outgrow a narrow bed, so plan accordingly.
Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’ is just finishing its bloom this first week of May. A tougher groundcover would be difficult to find. Mine survives with no irrigation (now that it is established) and supports bees for at least six weeks in April and May. Its silvery foliage and purple flowers are a pleasant contrast to deep green shrubs. Really, try this plant in any tough spot, but be sure to water it through the first two summers.
New to me this year is bricklebush, Brickellia sp., a leafy shrub known for its aromatic foliage. In the past it was planted near garbage cans, to mask their odor.
California buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum, is currently forming its flower clusters. It will be covered in pinkish bloom, which eventually turns to rust and provides winter interest. Full sun works well for this plant, reputed to be the best native plant to support honeybees.
Silver bush lupines (Lupinus albifrons) last about five years in the garden, but produce many seedlings to replace themselves. A very forgiving plant, it appreciates full sun and tolerates low water. Glorious purple flowers are your reward. ~Susan Libonati-Barnes
Below is a short slideshow that features many of the plants that are mentioned above, and a few more. All photos were taken by Susan Libonati-Barnes in the spring of 2020 or 2021, in her lovely garden. Enjoy!
