Manzanita Love

by Pam Vallot
(Huntington Bch Ca.)

MANZANITA TROOPERS

When I first got into gardening with California natives I used manzanita's freely as I was fascinated by their beauty! At one point I had 28 manzanita,s with 19 different varieties in my garden in Huntington Beach, now I have 11. I just dove in and learned along the way. I love my garden, for it is a little slice of nature in the middle of suburbia USA. I am proud of my manzanita troopers that have survived! The ones I have now with the oldest being Byrd hill in 12/07, Sentinel, 1 Austin griffith is the healthiest and prettiest & 1 Austin griffith,s trunk is cracking not a good sign, an Ophio-virides that keeps getting smaller & smaller, catalinae, rudis, Sunset, and another try for uva ursi, and the beautiful little Big Sur, and a recent purchase at the Rancho Santa Anna Botanical garden a Santa Monica Mountain Arctostaphylos, which sounds garden friendly. Now I spend more time researching about the plants where their found and what they like ect.. I try to balance a wild look with lots of cool rocks, well maintained with no weeds and a constant evolvingness.