Pink flowering currant, ribes sanguineum v. glutinosum "Claremont"

This is a california native that has beautiful spring flowers, maturing in to purple/bluish berries with a silvery sheen.

Humming birds and native bees love the flowers and the berries attract grossbeaks, thrushes, waxwings and other birds.

This shrubby small tree has multiple trunks and does not get too large 10-15 feet at most. Making it a great addition to any garden.

Pride of Madeira

Family: Boraginaceae

Origin: Native to the Canary Islands


Hardiness: Hardy in zones 9 and 10 only; best at coast
Growth: Rapid growth to 8 feet with wider spread
Form: Naturally a wide mound, but can be pruned to upright form
Leaves: Gray-green 8 inch narrow leaves at end of stems
Flowers: Blue to purple 1/2 flowers in long spikes in spring
Fruit or Seeds: Remove flower spikes when they fade
Exposure: Full sun; good at coast
Water: Weekly to monthly or none at all during summer
Soil: Well drained; grows in poor soil
Fertilizer: Fertilizer causes rapid growth and poor flowering
Prune: To shape and to expose branches
Problems: Snails; root rot if drainage is poor

Spectacular plant in coastal areas. Echium comes in a variety of rich blues and purples. Easily rooted from cuttings.

Black Mondo grass Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens') This cultivar was developed in England but the species is from Japan.

It likes partial to full shade, does well from boggy to dryish soil, and when established needs only weekly water. It will send out runners and slowly spread to form a loose "colony" of plants.

I use this plant a lot in SF shade gardens.

Installation I did in 2009 including the paver stones.

Shade garden installed in 2008.

This is a small installation I did in 2009, drip irrigation and bricks were also installed by me.