This column includes a book review that has inspired comments about garden photography.
The photo gallery includes plants that succeed in my garden and are blooming now. They are eligible for summer-dry climates, but might not be included in the book being reviewed:
• Rosa mutabilis
• Mandevilla laxa (Chilean Jasmine)
• Phlomis purpurea (Purple Phlomis)
• Begonia x tuberhybrida pendula ‘Illumination Apricot’
• Cuphea ‘Starfire Pink’ (Pink Cigar Planter Plant)
Book review
We begin with the 1921 book, “Gardening in Summer-Dry Climates: Plants for a Lush, Water-Conscious Landscape,” by Nora Harlow (author) and Saxon Holt (photographer).
As reported recently, this book is described as “a guide to native and climate-adapted plants for summer-dry, winter-wet climates of North America’s Pacific coast.” In other words, it is oriented to Mediterranean-climate plants that grow well along the California coast.
The reference to Mediterranean-climate plants refers to plants native to five regions: the Mediterranean basin, South Africa, Southeast Australia, Central Chile and Coastal California. A newer and better term for this category is, “plants for summer-dry, winter-wet climates.” That term is clearer and more descriptive, although wordier.
This book is useful for California Coast gardeners, including Monterey Bay area gardeners, while many garden books appeal to the widest group of readers by addressing a wide range of growing regions. A California gardener might be interested in plants native to England, Japan, or some other exotic area but will succeed best by studying plants that will work in his/her garden.
The book focuses on “native and climate-adapted plants” for this climate. That plant category concerns horticultural criteria. This column regularly recommends focusing on plants native to the Monterey Bay area because they both meet horticultural criteria and support the area’s wildlife.
Many gardeners wish to achieve both goals but still include non-native plants in their landscape. My garden does: it has sections dedicated to each of the five summer-dry, winter-wet regions.
This book begins with a section on the variations within summer-dry climates. The following section briefly explores garden design topics: climate changes, water supply, invasive plants and garden thugs, fire-wise landscaping, carbon capture, soil structure, wildness, and change.
The book’s largest section, “A Compendium of Plants for Summer-Dry Climates,” presents an extensive list of garden-worthy plants. The entries are listed alphabetically by botanical name, followed by common name. Each entry includes a short description of the plant, and many entries are accompanied by excellent photographs.
The next section, “Plants for Special Places,” lists plants by category appropriate for various landscape circumstances. For example, the list of plants for “dryish shade” includes shrubs; perennials, annuals, grasses; succulents; and vines.
This section is practical support for the Compendium. Together, these sections yield practical help for garden planning and plant selection. Because the botanical names are provided, the gardener could discover more details about specific plants by searching the internet or drawing upon the book’s final section, “Readings and Resources.”
The index provides page references for all the plants in the book, facilitating searches for specific plants.
The photographs elevate this book above many other plant directories and mail-order catalogs. Gardeners need to visualize plants of interest, beyond seeing its name in print.
The book’s presentation of plants for summer-dry climates, supported by photos and lists for special places, provides a valuable resource for Pacific Coast gardeners.
Garden photography
Cellphone cameras are useful for documenting many events and situations and have become essential tools in the garden. As small portable devices, they are easily pocketed as we garden. They are readily available to photograph a blossom, full plant, or landscape scene for our files or to share its beauty with others. They can also depict a garden area ready for re-design; such photos can be useful while making plant selections.
These cameras are easy to use, but simple snapshots can improved by applying advanced skills, beyond what could be outlined in this column.
Saxon Holt, the photographer for the book reviewed above, is a productive creator of photographic images of gardens and landscapes. His work has been included in numerous books available through Amazon.com. Search that site for his name.
In addition to being a master of garden photography, Holt freely shares his ideas and techniques. When I asked: “How could I photograph plants and garden as well as you do?” He wrote: “The best tip for good garden photography is … find a good garden, then always shoot in good light.”
That’s good advice, but there is more to learn about garden photography through publications available through his website, photobotanic.com. By clicking on Stores and Books, you will discover his traditional books and downloads of lessons in his excellent “Think Like a Camera” series. His site also offers his photographs.
Calflora’s 10th annual Photo Contest shares numerous garden photos to enjoy and evaluate. This event is hosted by Calflora, the nonprofit organization that maintains an online database of “plants that grow wild in California.”
In May of each year, photos are submitted in five categories:
• Calochortus (Lily Plant Family)
• Grasses + grasslike plants (True Grasses, Sedges, Rushes)
• Any other flowering plant (a large category)
• Gymnosperms (Conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and gnetophytes that form the clade Gymnospermae. Gymnosperm comes from Greek words meaning “naked seeds.”)
• Ferns + Bryophytes (Non-vascular land plants: liverworts, hornworts, and mosses.)
To view photos of plants in these categories, browse to tinyurl.com/4x6u2cpz. You can also vote on the contest photos. Click on the video tutorial link on the webpage.
Entries to this annual photo contest are submitted during May. Interested garden photographers might save their best shots to submit during May next year.
Emil Pakarklis provides ideas and methods for a wide range of photography. To see his online brief presentations, browse youtube.com and search for “emil pakarklis.” You could also sign up for his iPhone Photography School. There is much to learn beyond pressing the button!
Enjoy your garden and your photography!
Tom Karwin is a past president of Friends of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and the Monterey Bay Iris Society, a past president and Lifetime Member of the Monterey Bay Area Cactus & Succulent Society, and a Lifetime UC Master Gardener (Certified 1999-2009). He is now a board member of the Santa Cruz Hostel Society, and active with the Pacific Horticultural Society. To view photos from his garden, https://www.facebook.com/ongardeningcom-566511763375123/ . For garden coaching info and an archive of On Gardening columns, visit ongardening.com for earlier columns or visit www.santacruzsentinel.com/ and search for “Karwin” for more recent columns. Email comments or questions to gardening@karwin.com.