My Kind of Volunteerism

Clockwise, from bottom left: Sidalcea malvaeflora (Checkerbloom);

Polygala x dalmaisiana, Polygala fruticans ‘Petite Butterfly,’ Polygala myrtifolia

 (all Sweetpea Shrub varieties); Epilobium canum ‘Catalina’ (Catalina Fuchsia),

 Acer buergeranum (Trident Maple).

After an especially rainy rainy season, I've noticed a lot more volunteers (plants whose seeds were blown into my garden from other gardens, pooped out by birds or simply dropped by a happy mother plant). 

So I've started doing what any other overzealous gardener would do: pot 'em up and give them a little PLC! (those are my initials)  

One of my biggest joys of having a garden is to be able to share it with others: family, friends, neighbors. Not only do I love having them over to see it, I love for them to leave with a little part of it. 

I did this on a smaller scale last year when I divided a bunch of cymbidium orchids and sold them in one-gallon pots for a buck at our annual block yard sale. I didn't make much (wasn't out to collect, really), but it was great chatting up those that were interested, and a great opportunity to espouse my plant knowledge and share my experiences growing the particular plant. 

I also have TONS of Aeonium arborescens growing in my garden. When the mother plants have babies, boy do they deliver quite a brood! I simply pinched off the heads with a tiny bit of stem, and stuck 'em in moistened soil in nursery pots. Last year, my friend Mark decided to completely redesign his garden with cactus and succulents. So I brought over a bunch of these to him, along with several Bulbine frutescens divisions. (Got lots of those, too!) He was so happy and provided me progress reports with how great they were doing. Of course I felt wonderful hearing that. 

I think this year will be different. There will still be the Aeonium and Bulbine, but with some Polygala (Sweetpea Shrub) varieties (They re-seed like crazy, are drought tolerant and bloom forever). Also in my new mix will be Acer buergeranum (Trident Maple), Epilobium canum 'Catalina' (Catalina Fuchsia), Sidalcea malvaeflora (Checkerbloom), Stachys byzantina (Lamb's Ear), Dudleya farinosa (Bluff Lettuce), Sedum sexangulare (Watch Chain Sedum), Tanacetum parthenium (Feverfew), Teucrium chamaedrys (Bush Germander), Asarum caudatum (Wild Ginger), Bomarea (Climbing Alstroemeria), Choisya ternata 'Sundance' (Mexican Orange), Geranium x cantabrigiense 'Biokovo' (Crane's Bill), Hedychium gardnerianum (Kahili Ginger), Heuchera pilosissima (Hairy Alum Root), Oxalis spiralis ‘Aurea’ (Golden Oxalis), Sword Fern, Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry), Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwood). 

Man, I didn't realize my list would become this long! It's all good though, plus it gave me a chance to review and update my garden database (yes, I have an Excel spreadsheet that breaks down my landscape front, side and back - crazy, I know). 

Check back for updates on my growing nursery of volunteers and divisions, plus I'll likely add cuttings come fall. Ciao!