Ornamental kale, aloes, and agaves at SoCal's Roger's Gardens

At the end of December I made a quick trip to Southern California. Daughter #2 went back to university, and I came along to keep her company on the 7-hour drive. Since her apartment is only 10 minutes from Roger's Gardens, Orange County's premier destination nursery, I always swing by. 

I was greeted by a sea of white ornamental kale:


I'm not huge a fan of ornamental kale—for some reason, it makes me thing of warts and similar skin growths—but as a mass planting, it's actually quite beautiful.


Seeing all this kale made me wonder whether you could simple eat it after you're done with it in the garden. According to a variety of source, ornamental kale is perfectly safe to eat, but you may not want to: It's reported to be tough and bitter. So much for that.

Roger's Gardens is known for their exuberant street-side plantings. At this time of year, the aloes steal the show, above all Aloe 'Always Red', a Leo Thamm hybrid:

Aloe 'Always Red'


Look at this jaw-dropping combo of Aloe 'Always Red' and Agave ovatifolia:



Few agaves are as photogenic as Agave ovatifolia, and few aloes are as bloomerific as 'Always Red':


Along San Miguel Drive, I spotted some Aloe ferox in bloom:


And near the intersection of San Joaquin Hills Road and San Miguel Drive, a pineappled Agave salmiana starting to flower....

Agave salmiana

...as well as a particularly striking pairing of Agave 'Blue Flame' and Agave attenuata 'Raea's Gold':

Agave 'Blue Flame' and Agave attenuata 'Raea's Gold'

Agave 'Blue Flame' and Agave attenuata 'Raea's Gold'

With afternoon temperatures above 70°F (22°C), I almost forgot that it was late December. Being able to run around in a short-sleeved T-shirt was wonderful! But the deciduous trees in the area were a vivid reminder that it is winter, T-shirt weather notwithstanding:


NOTE: This article contains a list of plants that are part of the permanent street-side landscaping at Roger's Gardens.


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Comments

  1. ‘Always Red’ is really something. It’s amazing.

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  2. Wish I could have tagged along! Buy anything?

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    1. I had a few things I wanted, but the checkout line was so long and slow, that I gave up (it was right near closing time). One was a Tasmanian mountain pepper (Tasmannia or Drimys lanceolata). Someday I'll get one for a container in the backyard.

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  3. I haven't been there in a year! Thanks for the link to the Roger's article. I've never been able to do anything but guess at the identity of the red-flowered Aloes.

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    1. I'm glad I found that link. While it's a few years old, it seems that many plants are still there.

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  4. You made me giggle with your warts and skin growth when you see ornamental kale comment, because my hubby says the same thing every year I plant it! :) I am still amazed that I did not know, until I started visiting your blog, that aloe flowers. And it is so beautiful. Its florets shape remind me of the Veronica.

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    1. Aloe flowers come in a large variety of colors and shapes. They're the one good thing about winter for me.

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