Far Out Flora

Gardening in the Outerlands of San Francisco

Linaria Flamenco Looking Fab

February 20, 2012 by Matti | 13 Comments

Sept 10ish Linaria reticulata 'Flamenco'

We’re thinking over some container ideas for the late winter / early spring planting time. Last year we went with this Linaria reticulata ‘Flamenco’. Man that’s been a gorgeous plant.

Planted April 1st ish..no foolin

For some reason, I thought we started this planting a lot earlier, but looks lie it was on April 1st…ish. I bet would do fine with seed, but opted using 4inch starters instead.

April 16th.

Amazing how fast the Linaria ‘Flamenco’ took and started to flower…in less than a month. Those red and golden blooms are mouthwatering.

April 30th

May 22

Besides being a showstopper, Linaria reticulata ‘Flamenco’ is one of those bloomers that keep on giving. It flowered for us for at least half a year. We did cut it back a couple times and that seemed to extend the flowering. Oh, bonus…after established, we didn’t have to feed it much water.

July 2nd Linaria reticulata 'Flamenco'

As we sit and ponder what to plant next, we wonder what sort of plant combinations are you peeps are getting ready for this (upcoming) season. Share them…we would love to know!

– Far Our Flora

Fiery Aloe Spikes

January 12, 2012 by Matti | 22 Comments

Aloe arborescens - Krantz Aloe

The Aloe arborescens are going crazy down in Pacific Grove, CA. One of the best spots to see these blooming succulents is along Ocean View Blvd. Take a stroll along the coastal path from the Pacific Grove Marine Gardens Park over to Hays Perkins Park…you won’t regret it. (Update: Sounds like the parks are mislabeled and should both be considered Shoreline Park. Thanks Katie.)

Aloe arborescens - Torch Aloe

Aloe arborescens goes by a lot of common names such as Torch Aloe, Candelabra Aloe, and Krantz Aloe to name a few. Common names are often descriptive such as Torch for its red flower spikes or Candelabra for their large leave rosettes. But the common name Krantz Aloe puzzled me. Turns out, it comes from the Afrikaner word, Kransaalwyn, which loosely translates to rocky cliff. In habitat, these succulent Aloes thrive in rocky ridges from sea level…all the way up to high mountain elevations. Seems the largest concentrations of them are found in southeastern continental Africa.

Aloe arborescens along Sunset Dr in Monterey Bay

Having some fun with the iPhone, we stitched up a Hipstamatic of that same Aloe clump. One thing we did notice was how stressed out the Aloes where still looking. The lack of rain this winter has kept the foliage looking redder than limey green.

Aeoniums in Bloom

The hiking trail meanders on for over a mile right next to the water. Frolicking down the footpath, we found a number of Aeoniums blooming too. Man, love those yellow conical clusters.

Matti and Max

Max the Border Collie got to stretch his legs too; the place is pretty dog friendly as long as you keep them on leash. Oh, check it out. Besides the Aloes…the Echium candicans (Pride of Madeira) were popping their purple spiky inflorescence. Aren’t those a fab combo?

Echium candicans & Aloe arborescens

Echium candicans - Pride of Madeira (syn. Echium fastuosum)

Echium candicans (syn. Echium fastuosum) produces oodles of little flowers on their bloom spikes. Great plants for attracting pollinators. If you’re ever down in the Monterey Bay area, we highly recommend taking a detour to this garden path.

– Far Out Flora

September 23, 2010
by Megan
8 Comments

A Squirrel Ate My Paper

Did you hear about the one where the mischievous squirrel stole Matti’s notes? Seriously…I forgot to write down the names, but think it would be fun to see who can name these mystery plants and tree. NOID #1 (above) was … Continue reading →