A Mediterranean garden blooms in Morro Bay
When new faculty and staff in Cal Poly’s College of Liberal Arts gather for a garden party at the Morro Bay home of Dean Doug Epperson and his wife, Amy Phenix, they focus on making friends. It’s easy to do in such a lovely environment.
First, Amy, a forensic psychologist, tried growing an English-style garden in her Morro Bay sand with little success. Lush bougainvillea with its striking red bracts commands attention the full length of the driveway. Its Mediterranean look provides a strong focal point as well as drought resistance. Taking a cue from that, Amy asked garden designer, Steve Judd of Santa Margarita, for assistance in appropriate plant selection.
“What do you have in mind?” he asked.
“Anything but succulents,” she replied.
“We can work around that. With experimentation we might find something,” he said. The direction they took headed toward South Africa.
Today, bookend bronze-colored ceramic pots embellished with metal trim and planted with aloe arborescens flank the entry and will bloom in spectacular red-orange splendor during the cooler months.
A tall leucodendron “Safari Sunset” with burgundy and green leaves provides an effective screen from a vacant lot next door. Wire baskets, when planted, keep visiting gophers away. Upright aeoniums of several varieties line much of the driveway and circular fountain area, which is laid with attractive tan block pavers in a similar circular pattern.
Ice plant in different colors and varieties and calendrinia with its bright pink blooms help soften the block terracing that extends up the driveway. A prolific yellow clock vine (Thunbergia) scrambles up the entry wall. It is loaded with yellow blossoms with a black throat. A smaller companion in orange is growing on the opposite wall of the garden.
A tall pink melaleuca (Melaleuca nesophylla) leans gracefully over the walkway and also offers screening from the neighbors. A stately upright variegated pittosporum brightens the area near the multi-tiered concrete fountain in the center of the circular patio. Two dark burgundy Agonis flexuosa “After Dark” trees add movement and a striking color contrast.
A very healthy Leonotis leonorus (lion’s tail) provides nearly constant fuzzy orange-gold blooms that draw hummingbirds to its tubular flowers.
A sweet light pink rockrose (Cistus skanbergii) draws attention as one walks up the long driveway. Volunteer echeverias at the base of one garden wall provided enough plant material for two additional echeveria groupings. Additionally, Kalanchoe brasiliensis, with its shiny green leaves and blue-gray Senecio vitalis, add vertical interest throughout the garden.
Heart leaf geraniums (Pelargonium cordatum) with flowers of dark pink spread their beauty along the wall. Sweetpea shrub (Polygala dalmaisiana) is a sturdy and reliable purple bloomer in coastal sandy soil. In contrast, the pink blooming Cecile Brunner rose growing on the wall behind the fountain requires more intense feeding to flower as prolifically.
Meandering down the stone path to the back garden one finds healthy camellias and sword ferns enjoying the shade of both the house and a tall wooden screen that tops a retaining wall. Because the camellias get no wind they are very happy in this environment. Organic matter is often added to them along with seaweed extract and fish emulsion. Finding a solution to what will grow up the shady wooden screen has involved a lot of experimentation that provides a continuing challenge. But it’s obvious that this couple enjoys challenges.
The garden area in the backyard includes a fire pit, patio chairs for relaxing, and steep terracing.
After initially rejecting the idea, Amy and Doug found they really did appreciate succulents and the ease of low-maintenance gardening.
This story was originally published December 7, 2016 at 4:47 AM with the headline "A Mediterranean garden blooms in Morro Bay."