Stroll through an urban jungle, desert, forest

[Tracy]

Strolling through my urban neighborhood prompted me to stop a few times to enjoy the desert, forest and occasional jungle that I passed.  What about your neighborhood? Anything prompt you to stop?

Edited September 24, 2022 by Tracy

[Tracy]

I love this tree growing on the east side of a blufftop home, just a block north of Beacons Beach parking lot.  Salty air and our marine layer seem to appeal to it.  Another piece of my urban jungle.

[ahosey01]

@Tracy that appears to be an actual NIP growing in your first photo and not a cook pine.... Awesome...

Will also be like 130ft tall one day lol

[Tracy]

5 hours ago, ahosey01 said:

@Tracy that appears to be an actual NIP growing in your first photo and not a cook pine.... Awesome...

Will also be like 130ft tall one day lol

Since you liked the Araucaria heterophylla, a couple of other Araucaria.  Also a flower dropped from one of the other trees shown in my previous post.

[Tracy]

Sometimes it is the smaller plantings that draw the eye.  From this morning's walk with the dogs.

[Manalto]

No, I pretty much look straight ahead, floor it, and get the hell out of Dodge. Few people seem to care in my neighborhood. You'd think with all this rainfall (usually) it would be a lush paradise but not many people seem to care. You Western guys have all the snazzy landscapes.

[Silas_Sancona]

45 minutes ago, Manalto said:

No, I pretty much look straight ahead, floor it, and get the hell out of Dodge. Few people seem to care in my neighborhood. You'd think with all this rainfall (usually) it would be a lush paradise but not many people seem to care. You Western guys have all the snazzy landscapes.

Eh, lol..  As much as i hate using this phrase, Believe me, there are plenty of folks here, and back in California who also couldn't care less about their yards..  or hate plants enough that they cover their yard space with concrete ( IE: a neighbor next door to my grandparents in San Jose )

There are examples though where once someone ..or a couple homeowners  do interesting things w/ their yards, other neighbors are motivated to work on theirs as well.. 

It helps get the ball rolling if the original neighbor(s) are willing to talk with interested neighbors about ideas ...Easier the better.. ...and maybe have extras of any interesting plants to pass around.

All that said. As others have mentioned, in some cases, have to be a little cautious in just how much "Snazz" you put into your landscape, -front yard at least,  since there are folks who will cruise neighborhoods casing yards to steal plants from..

[Foxpalms]

@Silas_Sancona That's what I think people in neighbourhoods, escpially people not interested in plants, seem to copy what's around them. If people plant palms here there's normally smaller ones planted in neighbours gardens because people who know nothing about palms learn they can grow in their neighbour hood, so they want one and plant a few. 

Edited October 3, 2022 by Foxpalms

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

in some cases, have to be a little cautious in just how much "Snazz" you put into your landscape, -front yard at least,  since there are folks who will cruise neighborhoods casing yards to steal plants from.

3 hours ago, Manalto said:

Few people seem to care in my neighborhood.

Perhaps because the landscapes in places like California (particularly Southern California), Arizona and Nevada ,were so foreign to people moving here decades ago, they wanted to bring plants from other places to green it up.  Lots of pioneers in the nursery business out here, experimenting as well as traveling to collect the unusual.  Many of the smaller non-chain nurseries around here have some interesting plants as well as some diversity.  I consider us to be the beneficiaries of those who came before us.

Nathan, you are right unfortunately about potential for having plants stolen.  Once they get big enough though it becomes more difficult when your neighbors are watching out too, and their are surveillance cameras.  Nothing in life is a guarantee, so sometimes we take risks and hope for the best, enjoying along the way.  I know the diversity of gardens in my neighborhood brings a bit of joy to my daily sojourns.

1 hour ago, Foxpalms said:

That's what I think people in neighbourhoods, especially people not interested in plants, seem to copy what's around them.

Yes, as you point out, once people know that something can grow well they do become interested in it for their own gardens.  The big qualifier out West when talking to people about plants is they want to know how much water it takes to grow, usually phrased as "Is it drought tolerant?"

[Foxpalms]

1 hour ago, Tracy said:

 Yes, as you point out, once people know that something can grow well they do become interested in it for their own gardens.  The big qualifier out West when talking to people about plants is they want to know how much water it takes to grow, usually phrased as "Is it drought tolerant?"

It's escpially evident here, you can walk thoughts parts of London and see very few palms, then walk through other parts which have large Washingtonia and CIDP examples and there will be lots of smaller ones planted in the neighborhood. Most people probably understand California is a fairly warm climate and palms will grow there, whilst here the misconception that it's cold and rainy from films ect probably makes most people think they won't grow here. I think here what also massively determines what people plant here is definitely what's commonly sold at garden centers, since CIDPs and Washingtonia have started regularly being sold there are lots more that have appeared. Even though there are lots of big Washingtonia in London that are posted here the majority of the ones here are all small (below 10ft) because of them only recently becoming commonly sold. There have definitely been lots of droughts in recent summers here, so that might also be a factor people will have to consider here. I did see lots of new things for sale at regular garden centers this year, some of them had jade plants outdoors and large selections of cacti.

[Tracy]

Took the dogs for a stroll a couple of towns south, in Del Mar this morning.   Torrey Pines dominate the landscape but still plenty of other attractions. 

[Than]

On 9/24/2022 at 7:47 PM, Tracy said:

 

 

Αre these Howeas on the left?

[Than]

On 10/23/2022 at 10:57 PM, Tracy said:

 

 

 

Wow, you live in paradise! What is this stunning tree?

[Tracy]

4 hours ago, ego said:

Αre these Howeas on the left?

Yes those are Howea forsteriana down low in that particular garden photo.  Lots of queens and kings up higher for canopy at that house.

[Tracy]

4 hours ago, ego said:

Wow, you live in paradise! What is this stunning tree?

I don't recall which of the large Ficus species that is but it is spectacular.   That particular home has a plaque on the front gate identifying it as a historical home.  The tree deserves its own plaque in my opinion. 

[Than]

48 minutes ago, Tracy said:

I don't recall which of the large Ficus species that is but it is spectacular.   That particular home has a plaque on the front gate identifying it as a historical home.  The tree deserves its own plaque in my opinion. 

Indeed! Do you mind if I post this pic in some plant identification group? 

[Tracy]

Another Ficus...this one is a bit smaller, growing on a hos CIDP.  Some other palms and Cypress captured during the golden hour tonight.   Now that my neighbor removed their Brazilian Pepper tree I can actually see these from my backyard when looking up the hill against the eastern skyline.

[BigFrond]

One of the pix looks like Hawaii.  The Ficus is most awesome!  They hired the right people who know how to prune trees.   You can see the nice form in the Ficus.  However, it is quite large for that property and will crack the foundation of the house in time.

[Tracy]

5 hours ago, BigFrond said:

The Ficus is most awesome!  They hired the right people who know how to prune trees.   You can see the nice form in the Ficus.  However, it is quite large for that property and will crack the foundation of the house in time.

In that it is a historic house and the tree has clearly been growing for a long time, I have to wonder how many repairs they have already had to do to the foundation.  It is hard to tell, but I'm guessing based on the age of the home, it is not a slab on grade, but a raised foundation.

If you are ever down in Del Mar, just head east up 9th Street from the Coast Hwy (aka Camino Del Mar).   The house is offset to the left from where 9th Street T's into Highland to the north and Hoska to the south.

[Tracy]

Not too long a walk from home to see these.  In fact, I only have to step out my front gate.  I'm not sure which species of Pittosporum the one tree is.  My neighbor doesn't have any rocks that I could see hanging from limbs of the Pinus thunbergii, which her arborist uses to get the limbs to hang flat.  Spectacular trees!

[realarch]

Thanks for taking the time to post Tracy. 

Tim

[Tracy]

Aloidendron in bloom this morning. 

[Tracy]

Walking through Liberty Station on the old NTC property.   A sad statement on the CIDP' s there and across the water on Marine Corp. Recruit Depot too.

[Tracy]

Succulents, cactus and Aloe are the theme.  Both gardens are one house away from the beach here in Encinitas. 

[Tracy]

Trying to feel like Hawaii here.

[Tracy]

A nice Cidp at the beach this morning after a surf at D Street in downtown Encinitas.   Also an older Aloidendron in the front yard of a home on the street behind mine.

[Foxpalms]

If only more people in London would put this much effort into their gardens, especially the arid flora since they would be better for the smaller front gardens here.

[Tracy]

Ti and a young Pandanus.  I will be keeping an eye on the Pandanus as it grows.  I have walked past it so many times without really paying attention to it.   It is on my radar now. 

[Darold Petty]

Tracy, do I see Meryta sinclairii in the right, background of the first image ? 

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, Darold Petty said:

Tracy, do I see Meryta sinclairii in the right, background of the first image ? 

Affirmative.... that was Dean's old home, now his son's Dorian's garden.  My attention is normally drawn to the Mertya when I walk by, but this morning it was the Ti plant.  Good eye Darold.  I kind of wondered if anyone would notice that in the background.

[Peter]

That looks more like Meryta balansae to me

[Darold Petty]

1 hour ago, Peter said:

That looks more like Meryta balansae to me

I really don't know these plants very well,  I desired them for a long time, but now I have no more room !   

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, Peter said:

That looks more like Meryta balansae to me

Yes Peter, you are correct.   I saw Meryta in Darold's post and answered without thinking.  The only two specimens of Meryta balansae I have seen in person are this one in Dorian's garden and one in Len's garden a few years ago.  If I could find one, I would love to plant one.  I never fail to point it out to my wife when we are walking by Dorian's, to the point that she often completes the sentence for me now. 

[JasonD]

On 9/25/2022 at 9:43 AM, Tracy said:

I love this tree growing on the east side of a blufftop home, just a block north of Beacons Beach parking lot.  Salty air and our marine layer seem to appeal to it.  Another piece of my urban jungle.

Acacia pendula!

[Tracy]

We took the dogs for a walk through the other end of Encinitas on this morning.  Enjoyed seeing some nice plants in some gardens.  Sad to see so many CIDP in a canyon dead or close to it.  

[Tracy]

There were also some nice cycads and Aloidendron including a young A pillansii.  Liked seeing Dendrobium speciosum mounted in the fork of the tree too.

[Peter]

That is a helluva neighborhood down there!  I wonder how they(and others) keep their B rupestris so short and squat.  Mine want to grow a lot taller than that as they start to bottle up.  Are they pruned?

[Tracy]

11 hours ago, Peter said:

That is a helluva neighborhood down there!  I wonder how they(and others) keep their B rupestris so short and squat.  Mine want to grow a lot taller than that as they start to bottle up.  Are they pruned?

Happy New Year.  Good question about the Brachychiton rupestris.  I don't know how it is achieved but have definitely seen the variation in size on the ones around here.  This one really grabbed my attention for its squat structure.  I also wonder if cultural things like soil or watering regimen could be a factor. 

Neighborhood is west of 5 freeway, east of the rr tracks, south of Encinitas Blvd and north of Birmingham Avenue.   Old Encinitas and part of Cardiff but all in the city of Encinitas. 

[Tracy]

The New Year's day walk was mostly closer to the beach on this windy day.  Some more eyecatchers for me in the photos below.  Hope you find them interesting too.

[Tracy]

Wisteria in bloom which has taken over the tree it is growing up and into.