Tea tree shaped into a tight ball.

Some plants just worm their way into our lives. Perhaps because of its versatility, the tea tree, or leptospernum, is just such a plant. A native of Australia and New Zealand, it thrives in Sunset zones 14 — 24. Jo O’Connell of Australian Native Plant Nursery in Ojai says there are many different varieties of this shrub. “While the plants all have similar pink, red and white flowers, they vary in height and growth habits.”  I personally love them trimmed into tight balls close to the ground or as trees with visible branches. But the most unusual application is pictured below in Walnut Creek: the leptospernums have been allowed to grow through a wood framed wire fence, creating a glorious living wall.

Tea trees like well drained soil, are drought tolerant and good near the ocean. My one speciman took a couple of years to get going but it is thriving now. There are 16 varieties of this shrub listed in the Sunset Western Garden book — one could have a whole garden of nothing but tea trees!

www.australianplants.com

A living wall of leptospernum.

On the Web:

Thursday, 2/10: Currents, gooseberries and manzanitas for your Southern California garden @ the Los Angeles Arboretum, 9:30 — 12, $20.00/ 626–821-4623 or jill.berry@arboretum.org/

Saturday, 2/12:

• Make a fabulous fountain from a watering can @ the Los Angeles Arboretum — bring a watering can, all other materials provided at cost –I couldn’t find a cost on this class / 626–821-4623 or jill.berry@arboretum.org/
• Birding basics at Descanso Garden 8am — 10am — $20/10 members/ www.descansogardens.org/
• Also at Descanso: Companion Planting 1pm — $20/10 member and:  Backyard Chickens and Bees 10am — 12pm — $25/15 member
• Camellia Show and Sale @ Huntington Gardens Sat 1 — 4:30 and Sun 10:30 — 4:30 / Huntington.org/
• Hypertufa class: Make a container resembling a stone trough 10am — 12pm / $35/25 member / theodorepayne.org/

Sunday, 2/13:

• 27th Wild Mushroom Fair @ the Los Angeles Arboretum, 10am — 4 pm details @ arboretum.org/

October 20, 2009 |  1:13 pm

Avid gardener and self-described “nursery geek” Susan Hirsch has launched the new online nursery directory Socalnurseryplants.com to help support mom-and-pop businesses in the Los Angeles area.

The website is meant to help gardeners too by featuring 56 nurseries in the area, listing what type of plants are offered, what kinds of pots or other merchandise are sold, whether landscaping and maintenance services are offered, plus hours, locations and links. Hirsch also offers interesting tidbits such as who supplied plants to the Getty Center’s cactus garden (California Cactus Center in Pasadena) and who offers delivery as well as planting (Jauregui Nursery in Gardena).
Hirsch says she has logged nearly 200,000 hits since the site premiered in August. “We’ve got to support our local businesses,” she says, “or they won’t be here anymore.”

– Lisa Boone

Photos clockwise from left: Malibu Garden Center, Grow in Venice, Green Arrow Nursery in Van Nuys and California Cactus Center in Pasadena by Susan Hirsch

Click to link to the LA Times Home online edition:  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/

I would like to thank Lisa Boone for the great article!