YOUR PLACE.Byline: Story and photos by Pam Waterman Correspondent Power flowers Plant 'em now for a riot of spring color Winter is the time many gardeners want to jazz up their garden. Even if the results won't show until spring, the cool weather of winter encourages us to look carefully and creatively at our little patches of paradise. Here are some plants that are available locally but aren't grown in enough gardens. Honeybush (Melianthus major): A gray-green plant that will add an adventurous look to any landscape. The jagged-edged leaves look as if they have been carefully trimmed with pinking shears pink·ing shears pl.n. Shears with notched blades, used to finish edges of cloth with a zigzag cut for decoration or to prevent raveling or fraying. . You don't need a huge estate to grow this plant. But you do need a willingness to prune prune, popular name for a dried plum. Fruits of the many varieties of Prunus domestica, which are firm-fleshed and dry easily without removal of the stone, are gathered after falling from the tree, dipped in lye solution to prevent fermentation, dried in the heavily. If not, you'll wind up with a bush 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide. That's probably more excitement from one plant than any gardener needs. Brazilian Plume Flower (Justicia carnea): This soft-wooded shrub sends up pink or white plumes in spring or early summer. Justicia blooms in a half-sunny spot but also in deep shade. I love having a pink camellia camellia (kəmēl`yə) [for G. J. Kamel, a Moravian Jesuit missionary], any plant of the genus Camellia in the tea family, evergreen shrubs or small trees native to Asia but now cultivated extensively in warm climates and in covered with blossoms in the late winter and then having a bush full of pink justicia flowers right next to it in late spring. Justicia also rewards gardeners with a fall crop of flowers. Kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos hybrids): These are beginning to show up in more and more local landscapes. Native to Australia, these drought-tolerant plants make a dramatic focal point focal point n. See focus. in the right garden situation. Give them full sun and soon you'll see tall flower stalks magically shoot up from the ground. There are several multicolored kangaroo paws available now. Although the plant isn't particularly beautiful out of bloom, it does have dark green, upright leaves. When you find the right situation and coax a kangaroo paw to full bloom full bloom the stage of a crop when two-thirds of the plants are in flower; the crop is mature. , you'll have a dramatic conversation piece. Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetiformis): It's a mystery why so few local gardeners grow this plant. Perhaps the reason is they don't often see it for sale in local nurseries. When you find it, buy it and plant it in a spot where its green stems can spill down and show off bright-red tubular flowers. The red blossoms remain for months on the long green branches. Wax Plant wax plant: see milkweed. (hoya carnosa): This tropical plant with thick waxy waxy (wak´se) 1. composed of or covered by wax. 2. resembling wax, especially denoting some combination of pliability, paleness, and smoothness and luster. leaves originates in southeast Asia Southeast Asia, region of Asia (1990 est. pop. 442,500,000), c.1,740,000 sq mi (4,506,600 sq km), bounded roughly by the Indian subcontinent on the west, China on the north, and the Pacific Ocean on the east. . For years I grew wax plant in hanging baskets, and my patience was rewarded when it bloomed. The light-pink flowers are so perfectly shaped, they look unreal. And they last on the plant for weeks. Now I have a wax plant in a big terra cotta cot·ta n. pl. cot·tae or cot·tas A short surplice. [Medieval Latin, of Germanic origin.] pot that reaches up to the roof and drips with pink blossoms all summer. LET IT FLOW: Give your kitchen sink minimalist flair with the Italian-designed Modern Faucet by Water inc.. The faucet is designed to work with Everpure water filtration systems, including the EverHot and EverCold systems that instantly heat or chill water. The matching cylindrical spout and control lever come out of the cylindrical vertical riser. The design features an angled taper and a slim control lever and is available in chrome, white and satin nickel finishes. The suggested retail price for the faucet with the the EverHot system ranges from $519.95 to $629.95 (similar with the EverCold system) and $313.95 to $437.95 by itself. Available at local stores such as Pacific Sales in Woodland Hills, by calling (800) 322-9283, or online at www.waterinc.com. -Simone Schramm TRICKY WINDOW TREATMENTS Decorate your windows with ease with two new products from Kirsch kirsch n. A colorless brandy made from the fermented juice of cherries. [French, short for German Kirschwasser; see kirschwasser. Window Fashions: PanelTrac and Custom Roller Shades. PanelTrac window coverings are specifically designed for large windows and room dividers that are usually hard to cover. The headrails install easily on brackets that are mounted to the ceiling or wall. Panels are attached to a mechanism that can be hidden by a valance made with the same fabric. The shades come in a variety of colors, fabrics and styles and can coordinate with Roller Shades and other Kirsch lines. The panels are so simple to install that homeowners can update them to coordinate with seasons and special occasions. With Roller Shades, homeowners can raise and lower the shades with a touch of a button. The optional motorization mo·tor·ize tr.v. mo·tor·ized, mo·tor·iz·ing, mo·tor·iz·es 1. To equip with a motor. 2. To supply with motor-driven vehicles. 3. To provide with automobiles. mechanism also features a timer that raises and lowers the shades throughout the day for temperature control. Other options for the Roller Shades are room darkening dark·en v. dark·ened, dark·en·ing, dark·ens v.tr. 1. a. To make dark or darker. b. To give a darker hue to. 2. To fill with sadness; make gloomy. 3. to block out incoming light, decorative hems and valances that cleverly hide the window hardware. The suggested retail price for the PanelTrac shades ranges from $438 to $1,050 depending on the height and length of the window. The Roller Shades range from $75 to $1,200. Kirsch products can be purchased at select JC Penney stores, EXPO Design Centers. For more information, visit www.kirsch.com. Size and pricing information can be obtained at www.htbarnes.com. - S.S. CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) With their vibrant red-orange hues, nasturtiums bring winter color to Valley gardens. (3 -- color) Camellias - in tones ranging from white to the palest of pinks all the way to the most vibrant fuchsia fuchsia: see evening primrose. fuchsia Any of about 100 species of flowering shrubs and trees in the genus Fuchsia (family Onagraceae), native to tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America and to New Zealand and Tahiti. - are the stars of the winter garden. (4 -- color) no caption (Modern Faucet by Water Inc. (5 -- color) no caption (Kirsch Window Fashions: PanelTrac and Custom Roller Shades) |
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