GARDENING : THE BIG THREE: PLANTS THAT THRIVE IN VALLEY.

Byline: Joshua Siskin

It has been estimated that fewer than 5 percent of the plants that could be grown in Valley gardens are made available to us in local nurseries.

We are missing out on a lot of possibilities. It is always a pleasure to find plants that, although observed here and there for years, suddenly find their way onto the shelves of retail plant stores and into the garden departments of home improvement centers.

A plant that I first saw in the UCLA botanical garden a decade ago and have since grown successfully in a variety of Valley locations is coral fountain.

The stems of this 4-foot-tall shrub do, indeed, arch and spill over like a fountain, and its flowers are red to scarlet. Coral, when used in plant appellations, does not mean pink but refers to a color spectrum that stretches from burnt orange to brilliant red - the same colors seen in the flowers of coral trees. It has been a pleasure to see the coral fountain shrub begin to appear in nurseries this year, a sign that it is being more widely grown in Valley gardens.

Coral fountain (Russelia equistiformus) can be grown in full to partial sun. It is suitable not only as a garden ornamental but also as a subject for patio or balcony containers. It begins to bloom in late spring and continues to flower throughout the summer and into the fall. It does have limits where winters are cold, although it did survive last winter's freeze in locations where it was protected by a few overhanging tree branches.

Coral fountain responds well to regular fertilization (monthly during the growing season) and watering. Preparing the ground with well-drained topsoil and compost prior to planting will result in reduced fertilizer and water needs and a greater tolerance to cold.

Another plant that has made recent inroads into the nursery trade is the red-leaf Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii ``Atropurpurea''). This deciduous shrub makes an excellent background or accent plant for a garden splashed with most of the day's sun. The burgundy foliage of this spiny, 4- to 6-foot species contrasts nicely with other foliage colors, such as that of the golden arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis), the ``Old Gold'' Chinese juniper, the blue Pfitzer juniper, or the silver knapweed (Centaurea gymnocarpa). In addition, sun-loving flowers of every kind - including marigolds, annual vincas and zinnias - will bring out the red, purple and bronze hues of the barberry.

The prejudice against using the barberry is based on its deciduous quality. Valleyites, like Southern Californians generally, have little patience for deciduous plants. Yet the fact that the barberry is one of the most drought-tolerant shrubs and that it can probably grow in more soil types than any other garden ornamental - in addition to its strong design features - should be ample compensation for its three to four months of annual leaflessness.

A plant that no large shade garden should be without is bear's breech (Acanthus mollis), and it is refreshing to see this species become more widely sold. No shade-loving plant gives more for less than bear's breech, requiring no more water than a weekly soaking provides and no fertilization. The leaves of this herbaceous perennial are 2 feet long and deeply cut. They are the same leaves sculpted atop those famous Corinthian columns found in the ruins of Greek temples.

In the entire natural world, I doubt if there is a deeper green than that exhibited in the leaves of bear's breech. It is a green that, after a rain and in the muted light of an overcast winter's day, has the deep glow of a finely polished, green-black gem.

The derivation of this plant's name is memorable. ``Breech'' refers to the backside or hind end of a body. ``Bear's breech'' was the name chosen for this plant since, in the words of botanist William Stearn, its leaves resemble the bottom of a bear - ``big, broad, and hairy.'' Yes, if you look closely, there are hairs, if not soft spines, on its leaves, which also explains its botanical name, Acanthus mollis; Acanthus means ``prickly,'' and mollis means ``soft.'' Prickly or hairy leaves, incidentally, are invariably an indication - to one degree or another - of drought tolerance.

Occasionally you will drive by an abandoned Valley house where the lawn is dead and watering of any kind has obviously not been done for many months. Yet against the shady, north-facing facade of this same house, bear's breech will be growing in lush profusion. Being an herbaceous perennial, its leaves fade and die back periodically, but its strong, bulb-like rhizomes will send up new leaves soon enough. In fact, the key to keeping bear's breech looking its best is to cut leaves to the ground as soon as they begin to lose their deep green luster.