Clare's Garden I 
by Clare Corre
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| 'Sariah's Curly Pink' |
'Tahitian Sunset' - a FCN seedling |
'Intense Rainbow' |
Plumerias
Of all the things that I grow, plumerias have to be one of my favorite trees for beauty, color, fragrance, and ease of growing. I have only been growing plumerias for a couple of years now, and so there are others that are much more qualified to impart wisdom concerning their care. I can, however, share with you my limited growing experience with them in my climate.
Since it doesn’t freeze where I live, I can grow my plumerias outdoors all year long. I do see an occasional lower leaf which turns yellow and drops, but in general, my plumerias retain their leaves throughout the winter. The only plumeria which slowly dropped one leaf at a time until it was bare by February was a red named ‘Duke.’ I attribute the lack of leaf drop to the fact that I water a couple of times a week in the winter and have a warm microclimate in my back yard. The three-quarter rock which replaced the grass, the aluminum siding along the house, a six-foot brick retaining wall, and two Koi Ponds with a waterfall all offer something to my growing environment; specifically, these things serve as wind breaks and absorb heat during the day and radiate it at night. Since the sun comes out on most days during the winter and since the temps are frequently in the 60’s, 70’s, and even higher at times, there is plenty of heat to keep them growing throughout the winter.
I think that there is some misconception about dormancy. This is a good link that I found which explains dormancy. It explains that dormancy is triggered by the longer nights in winter, colder temperatures, and the withholding of water and nutrition. I believe that all these elements have to be present for true dormancy, and since my plumerias continue to be watered and since nighttime temperatures rarely dip down below 40 degrees, my plumerias do not go dormant. They do stop flowering in early winter on older inflorescences, but new inflorescences continue to grow as do new leaves.
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| Inside Clare's Hobby Greenhouse |
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Why I Garden
I have a garden for many reasons. Besides the obvious reasons of sustenance and of enjoying the pleasure derived from being surrounded by beauty, nature, color, texture, and fragrance, gardening fills the senses and soothes the soul. It seems to fill a need which seemingly can’t be filled by anything else. There is a sense of accomplishment when one creates something that wasn’t there before, whether one creates a vegetable garden from a previously vacant piece of land or plants a small tree started from seed which will reach great heights in the years to come. There is also a sense of self-sufficiency when one harvests the fruits of one’s labor.
I feel closer to God and to His creatures when I am in the garden. I feel a sense of peace when I am surrounded by plant life and by other life forms. I enjoy the solitude that I often find there. Gardening can add meaning to one’s life, and its end result is often to make the world a better place to be. It provides food and shelter for body and soul for human beings and for the well-being of many life forms. It is an act of giving to the earth and to one’s surroundings, but the benefits received in return are tremendous. A beautiful garden is inviting and rewarding for all.
What I Don’t Grow
At first, I wanted to grow everything and anything. That wasn’t a good idea. But like so many things, gardening is a learning experience that is ever changing, and there are often limitations such as growing space, money, time for proper care, and climate.
I am blessed to live in a favorable climate which does not freeze, and I can grow many things in the ground all year long which cannot be grown in many parts of the country with the exception of South Florida and Hawaii, but my area is not considered tropical, and whether it is subtropical is probably debatable.
One of my first lessons in gardening was this: just because you can grow it, doesn’t mean you should grow it! There are many plants and vines out there which can become invasive in climates which have mild winters and other areas as well. A few examples of this include Ipomoea indica (Perennial Morning Glory), some Passiflora species (Passionflower), Campsis radicans (a type of Trumpet Vine), certain species of Lonicera (Honeysuckle), Schinus molle (Pepper tree), and Sapium sebiferum (Chinese Tallow); although, some of these can be grown in containers and confined spaces. Here’s another lesson I learned: if it pops up in your garden spontaneously, it is probably invasive and shouldn’t be kept! Keeping an invasive and aggressively self-propagating plant or tree or vine in one’s garden can create an endless amount of work for you and others. Been there; done that!
What I Do Grow
I have a lot of blue and purple flowers in my garden, combined with yellow, orange, and white flowers if I can manage it. There is something about those color combinations which is soothing to me. I also grow many things because they are pleasantly fragrant, and I grow flowers which will attract butterflies and hummingbirds. I grow for beauty as well, but fragrance is a high priority in my garden.
Some of my favorite blue and purple flowers include Passiflora macrocarpa, Passiflora ‘Lavender Lady,’ a Passiflora amethystina hybrid that I grew from seed, Passiflora platyloba, Duranta erecta, Wisteria floribunda ‘Violacea Plena’ and ‘Royal Purple,’ Millettia reticulata (Evergreen Wisteria), Ceanothus (California Lilac), Plumbago, Rosemary, Lavender, Alyogyne huegelii (Blue Hibiscus), Tibouchina (Princess Flower), Nepeta (Cat Mint), Thunbergia battiscombei, Brunfelsia (Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow), Dalechampia dioscoreifolia vine (Bow Tie Vine), Hardenbergia violacea ‘Happy Wanderer,’ Hebe, Coleus, Blue Felicia (Blue Marguerite), Buddleia (Butterfly Bush), Dichorisandra thyrsiflora (Blue Ginger), Louisiana Iris 'Black Gamecock,' Petrea volubilis (Sandpaper Vine), (Creeping Thyme), Salvia (Mexican Sage), Perovskia (Russian Sage),and Bignonia (Trumpet Vine). Chives also grow nice purple flowers and are a must-have in my edible garden.
I have some small collections, and they are only relatively small due to lack of space! Some of the things of which I have more than one species or cultivar include the following: Plumeria, Adenium, Caesalpinia, Michelia, Cananga, Wisteria, Brugmansia, Datura, Brunfelsia, Bouvardia, Passiflora, Syringa, Buddleia, Hylocereus, Jasminum, Gardenia, Hedychium, Hebe, Osmanthus, Canna, Iris, Salvia, Epiphyllum species and hybrids, and Sarcococca. Some of those collections have some of my favorite fragrances, and I also grow these plants for fragrance: Lavender, Rosemary, Freesia, Tuberose, Aglaia, Stephanotis, Formosa Lily, Tabernaemontana, Roses, Duranta, Hoya odorata, Fagraea berteroana, Ipomoea alba (Moonflower Vine), Murraya, Praecox arcticus (Pink Thyme), and Telosma cordata (Pakalana Vine).
Other Recommended Resources
Dave’s PlantFiles on the Internet
The Essential Gardener by Derek Fell
Western Garden Book by Kathleen Norris Brenzel (Editor)
New Complete Guide to Gardening (Better Homes & Gardens) by Susan A. Roth
Better Homes and Gardens Books (Editor)
Brugmansia and Datura: Angel's Trumpets and Thorn Apples by Ulrike Preissel, Hans-Georg Preissel
Sunset Western Landscaping Book by Fiona Gilsenan
Wisterias: A Comprehensive Guide by Peter Valder
The Handbook of Plumeria Culture by Richard & Mary Helen Eggenberger.
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