As I get older I realize that it will be harder and harder to maintain a large garden. Rock gardens are becoming more interesting to me because you can fit a lot of plants into a small place. Rock garden plants are smaller or slower growing plants that are placed close together with rocks…

There are many plants in Dawn Gardens that are interesting and unusual. I am a plant collector at heart and have plants that have unusual flowers, leaves, bark, fruit or roots. Here are a few of them: Beautyberry (Callicarpa bodinieri)   Double Clematis (Clematis ‘Multi Blue’)   Deutzia ‘Pink-a-Boo’   Pink Leaved Beech (Fagus sylvatica…

It is hard to find a plant that loves full shade but Hostas have hundreds of varieties and all of them do well in full shade. They are completely deciduous in the winter so it might be prudent to plant them with evergreen ferns so there will be something to look at in the winter….

Digger Pine (some people prefer to call it the Gray or Foothill Pine) is native to to California’s foothills up to 4500’. Its botanical name is Pinus sabiniana. One of the most notable aspects of the Digger Pine is the huge cones. The pine cones are very large and heavy and can be dangerous if…

Bog gardens are places where water loving plants are grown especially plants that can tolerate water around their roots most of the time.   The bog garden at Dawn Gardens is created by water flowing down from the ponds onto a flat area before it flows off the property under the fence. The tree that…

The weather is warm and beautiful and it is a good time to work in the garden in the morning. Here are a few plants that you can use in the summer garden: Globe Thistle (Echinops) Good dried flower. Lobelia tupa Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) This plant can also grow in bog conditions. Coreopsis verticillata…

Echinacea are perennials that love the heat and the sun. They bloom from June until October with colors from white, yellow, orange, red to pink and magenta. They are completely dormant in the winter so they are good plants to share the area with Daffodils. The Echinacea garden at Dawn Gardens started with the purchase…

There are many kinds of Phlox but there are 2 main species that are used at Dawn Gardens. Phlox paniculata is a deciduous perennial for the summer garden and Phlox subulata is an evergreen groundcover for late spring. Phlox paniculata – Deciduous Perennial Phlox paniculata ‘Coral Creme’ Phlox paniculata ‘David’ Pink and Purple varieties This…

Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are often confused with Lilies by beginning gardeners because the flowers look similar. Lilies are bulbs while daylilies are enlarged roots which can be divided for propagation. The individual flower on a daylily will last 1-2 days but many more flowers bloom in subsequent days to give constant bloom for 1-2 months in…

Yarrows (botanical name: Achillea) are the workhorses of the summer perennial garden. They have a long bloom season and are tolerant of high temperatures and poor soils. Here are some varieties growing at Dawn Gardens: Achillea filipendulina is the tallest Yarrow and reaches 4 to 5’. It starts blooming in May and continues through July…