On 4/8/11 11:08 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 4/8/11 6:14 PM, Higgs Boson wrote [in part]:

Thanks for that. However, I'm going to try for some perennials in
that area rather than annuals. Something bright yellow (sort of a
theme in this area).


There are some yellow daylilies (Hemerocallis) that seem to bloom almost
year round. They're sort of a golden yellow, almost yellow-orange.
They don't bloom continuously. Instead, they repeatedly bloom, rest,
and bloom again from late winter until the end of fall. Be sure you get
an evergreen variety, not a deciduous one that goes dormant in the winter.

Bush daisies (Euryops pectinatus) do bloom all year. At Gardens of the
World in Thousand Oaks, they bloom continuously year round. These can
grow tall and belong in the background. They should be pruned in the
late spring or early summer to prevent them from becoming leggy; this,
however, will eliminate flowers for a short while.

Primroses (in particular, Primula polyantha) have a long bloom period
from spring through summer, again on and off. There are varieties with
yellow flowers and blue flowers with yellow eyes. These are
low-growing, best in the foreground.

Consider Alstroemeria. Mine are never out of bloom. I've seen a
variety that has flowers that are yellow with orange (or is it orange
with yellow?).

All four should do quite well in Santa Monica.


I forgot calendula (C. officinalis), which has yellow-flowered varieties
that bloom much of the year. Also, there are various types of Gazania
with yellow flowers, including a trailing variety with green-gray
foliage. Finally, there are several perennial species and hybrids of
Coreopsis with either single or double yellow flowers.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary