Plants that Spread
Self-sowing annuals
- Alyssum
- Amaranth
- Annual clary sage
- bells of Ireland
- Blue woodruff
- Bupleurum
- Calendula
- California poppy
- Cerinthe
- Chinese forget-me-not
- Cleome
- Coreopsis tinctoria
- Cornflower
- Cosmidium
- Cosmos
- Feverfew
- Flowering tobacco
- Four-o’clock
- Lavatera
- Malva ‘zebrina’
- Morning glory
- Night-scented stock
- Oenothera ‘Sunset Boulevard’
- Pincushion flower
- Poppy
- Rudbeckia
- Snapdragon
- Sweet pea
- Verbena bonariensis
- Viola
Plantiful - Plants that Spread
- Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum Nobile) - full sun, sandy soil
- Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’ - full sun, average soil
- Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria Vesca) - full sun-part shade, rich, moist, well-drained soil
- Creeping Mint (Meehania Cordata) - 4-6” tall. part-full shade, rich, moist well-drained soil.
- Spearmint (Mentha Spicata ‘Kentucky Colonel’) - full sun-part shade, moist soil. Plant with tomato to repel pest insects. Allot it a corner to run circles around clumps of enchinacea & lavender.
Plantiful - Self-Sowers
- Chives (Allium Schoenoprasum) - 12-18”, full sunm avg well-drained soil.
- Fleabane (Erigeron Karvinskianus ‘Profusion’) - 8-12” tall x 2 ft wide. Full sun-part midday shade, avg well-drained soil. Let it flow down around sedum & Lavender.
- Feverfew (Tanacetum Parthenium) - 18-24” tall. Full sun-part shade. Dry to avg soil. Bees avoid it, use as buffer along walkways & sitting area.
- Golden Feverfew (T. Parthenium ‘Aureum’) has yellow-golden foliage.
- Tall Verbena / Vervain (Verbena Bonariensis) - 3-5 ft tall. Full sun, average soil.
- Sweet William Carchfly (silene Armeria) - 2 ft tall. full sun-light shade, avg well-drained soil
- Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis Sylvatica) - 5-12” tall. full sun-part shade, avg soil
- Creeping Zinnia / Mexican Zinnia (Zinnia Angustifolia) - Annual. Drought-tolerant. 1 ft tall. Full sun, avg well-drained soil.
Plantiful - Frost-Tender
*Lavender (Lavandula) - full sun, dry well-drained soil. Water when dry. Prune to shape in early spring or after blooming, taking care not to cut into old wood below green growth. Do not fertilize. Propogate by cuttings in spring.
*Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) - Shrub 2-4 ft tall. Full sun, well-drained soil. Drought tolerant. Water when dry. Propogate by tip cuttings in spring.
*Meyer Lemon (Citrus xmeyeri ‘Meyer’) - 6-10 ft tall. full sun, moist soil. Fertilize monthly, year-round with acidic fertilizer for citrus. Use as focal point with shrub verbana & scented geranium. Prune in early spring for shape and to maintain size.
*Lemon Verbana (Aloysia Triphylla) - Deciduous shrub. 10 ft tall. full sun, rich well-drained soil. Water sparingly when dry. Plant against a warm south-facing wall and mulch the root zone. Tuck behind lavender & lemongrass, or use as a green screen on deck. Over the years, its trunk and stem will become as gnarled as an old olive tree. Prune to lowest dormant buds in spring.
*Chocolate Cosmos (Cosmos Atrosanguineus) - full sun, rich moist soil. Plant where drainage is sharp through winter and mulch the crown. Deadhead to keep plants flowering.
*Dahlia - full sun, rich moist soil/ Plant tubers 4- to 6- inch deep in early summer after the soil warms or start earlier in pots, plant just below soil surface. Propagate by separating tubers in spring before planting or by tip cuttings as new growth appears after planting. Deadhead for continuous bloom, use stakes to support tall varieties. Plant in sunny garden with late-blooming salvias, cannas, and asters.
*Blue Marguerite / Daisy (Felicia Amelloides ‘Variegata’) - 12” tall mounds. full sun, moist soil. Pinch to encourage bushier growth. Propogate by tip cuttings in spring.
*Fig (Ficus Carica) - full sun-part shade, moist soil, protection from wind. Small tree or shrub. ‘Petite Negra’ only grows to 2-3 ft tall in a container. Propogate by tip cuttings in spring and prune after harvesting.
Herbs That Thrive in Clay Soil
- Mints, lemon balm, lime balm, bee balm, comfrey, boneset, blue vervain, Joe Pye, Marjoram, Oregano.
- Or herbs that don’t have too deep a root system: thyme, calendula, oregano, violets, spilanthes, fennel, savory.
7 Best Citrus Trees to Grow
*‘Tahitian’ or ‘Persian’ lime tree (Citrus aurantifolia) - This variety is the best lime for a cool climate. It has very few thorns and produces very juicy fruit all year round. The plants grow to around 10×10 feet (3x3m) tall, and they do well in the garden or in pots.
*‘Fremont’ tangerine - Great to eat or drink as juice, and the fruit lasts eight to nine months on the tree.
*Blood orange - Tasty to eat and gorgeous, with ruby red flesh and juice; flavor has raspberry overtones.
*‘Improved Meyer’ lemon - The go-to citrus. Good for cooking, desserts, and cocktails. Ripe fruit lasts eight months or more on the tree.
*‘Oroblanco’ grapefruit - Bright, floral fragrance; sweet and not too acidic. The tree needs heat for best flavor; best in the desert.
* http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/citrus-gardening/view-all
- Alyssum
- Amaranth
- Annual clary sage
- bells of Ireland
- Blue woodruff
- Bupleurum
- Calendula
- California poppy
- Cerinthe
- Chinese forget-me-not
- Cleome
- Coreopsis tinctoria
- Cornflower
- Cosmidium
- Cosmos
- Feverfew
- Flowering tobacco
- Four-o’clock
- Lavatera
- Malva ‘zebrina’
- Morning glory
- Night-scented stock
- Oenothera ‘Sunset Boulevard’
- Pincushion flower
- Poppy
- Rudbeckia
- Snapdragon
- Sweet pea
- Verbena bonariensis
- Viola
Plantiful - Plants that Spread
- Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum Nobile) - full sun, sandy soil
- Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’ - full sun, average soil
- Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria Vesca) - full sun-part shade, rich, moist, well-drained soil
- Creeping Mint (Meehania Cordata) - 4-6” tall. part-full shade, rich, moist well-drained soil.
- Spearmint (Mentha Spicata ‘Kentucky Colonel’) - full sun-part shade, moist soil. Plant with tomato to repel pest insects. Allot it a corner to run circles around clumps of enchinacea & lavender.
Plantiful - Self-Sowers
- Chives (Allium Schoenoprasum) - 12-18”, full sunm avg well-drained soil.
- Fleabane (Erigeron Karvinskianus ‘Profusion’) - 8-12” tall x 2 ft wide. Full sun-part midday shade, avg well-drained soil. Let it flow down around sedum & Lavender.
- Feverfew (Tanacetum Parthenium) - 18-24” tall. Full sun-part shade. Dry to avg soil. Bees avoid it, use as buffer along walkways & sitting area.
- Golden Feverfew (T. Parthenium ‘Aureum’) has yellow-golden foliage.
- Tall Verbena / Vervain (Verbena Bonariensis) - 3-5 ft tall. Full sun, average soil.
- Sweet William Carchfly (silene Armeria) - 2 ft tall. full sun-light shade, avg well-drained soil
- Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis Sylvatica) - 5-12” tall. full sun-part shade, avg soil
- Creeping Zinnia / Mexican Zinnia (Zinnia Angustifolia) - Annual. Drought-tolerant. 1 ft tall. Full sun, avg well-drained soil.
Plantiful - Frost-Tender
*Lavender (Lavandula) - full sun, dry well-drained soil. Water when dry. Prune to shape in early spring or after blooming, taking care not to cut into old wood below green growth. Do not fertilize. Propogate by cuttings in spring.
*Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) - Shrub 2-4 ft tall. Full sun, well-drained soil. Drought tolerant. Water when dry. Propogate by tip cuttings in spring.
*Meyer Lemon (Citrus xmeyeri ‘Meyer’) - 6-10 ft tall. full sun, moist soil. Fertilize monthly, year-round with acidic fertilizer for citrus. Use as focal point with shrub verbana & scented geranium. Prune in early spring for shape and to maintain size.
*Lemon Verbana (Aloysia Triphylla) - Deciduous shrub. 10 ft tall. full sun, rich well-drained soil. Water sparingly when dry. Plant against a warm south-facing wall and mulch the root zone. Tuck behind lavender & lemongrass, or use as a green screen on deck. Over the years, its trunk and stem will become as gnarled as an old olive tree. Prune to lowest dormant buds in spring.
*Chocolate Cosmos (Cosmos Atrosanguineus) - full sun, rich moist soil. Plant where drainage is sharp through winter and mulch the crown. Deadhead to keep plants flowering.
*Dahlia - full sun, rich moist soil/ Plant tubers 4- to 6- inch deep in early summer after the soil warms or start earlier in pots, plant just below soil surface. Propagate by separating tubers in spring before planting or by tip cuttings as new growth appears after planting. Deadhead for continuous bloom, use stakes to support tall varieties. Plant in sunny garden with late-blooming salvias, cannas, and asters.
*Blue Marguerite / Daisy (Felicia Amelloides ‘Variegata’) - 12” tall mounds. full sun, moist soil. Pinch to encourage bushier growth. Propogate by tip cuttings in spring.
*Fig (Ficus Carica) - full sun-part shade, moist soil, protection from wind. Small tree or shrub. ‘Petite Negra’ only grows to 2-3 ft tall in a container. Propogate by tip cuttings in spring and prune after harvesting.
Herbs That Thrive in Clay Soil
- Mints, lemon balm, lime balm, bee balm, comfrey, boneset, blue vervain, Joe Pye, Marjoram, Oregano.
- Or herbs that don’t have too deep a root system: thyme, calendula, oregano, violets, spilanthes, fennel, savory.
7 Best Citrus Trees to Grow
*‘Tahitian’ or ‘Persian’ lime tree (Citrus aurantifolia) - This variety is the best lime for a cool climate. It has very few thorns and produces very juicy fruit all year round. The plants grow to around 10×10 feet (3x3m) tall, and they do well in the garden or in pots.
*‘Fremont’ tangerine - Great to eat or drink as juice, and the fruit lasts eight to nine months on the tree.
*Blood orange - Tasty to eat and gorgeous, with ruby red flesh and juice; flavor has raspberry overtones.
*‘Improved Meyer’ lemon - The go-to citrus. Good for cooking, desserts, and cocktails. Ripe fruit lasts eight months or more on the tree.
*‘Oroblanco’ grapefruit - Bright, floral fragrance; sweet and not too acidic. The tree needs heat for best flavor; best in the desert.
* http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/citrus-gardening/view-all