Bahia, You are right it is a broom, Spartium junceum, a plant that would fit right in with your mediteranean theme. It is an accident where it is, we wanted a fountain there but couldn't find one we liked so we put this in 'temporarily'. I love the upward verticalness of it contrasting with the fountain like flow of the deer and pampas grass behind it and it is there to stay. And of course it has wonderful yellow flowers in the spring. You are right about this winter, anything marginal is gone or severly damaged. The cassias normally overflowing with bloom this time of year look half dead. The myoporium which looks ten times as good as any lawn as a ground cover was killed to the base but the salvias and penstemons are fine. Clevlandii had a little tip dieback but nothing bad and the Parrys Penstemon and P. triflorus are blooming with superbus close behind. I can't feel sorry for what you can't grow in San Fransisco as there is so much you can grow. You have a far broader plant palette to choose from than we do here. I grew up in Santa Rosa and often passed through and sometimes visited S.F. It's a beautiful city with immense character but I sure wouldn't want to have to get around by bicycle in it:) Your retama monosperma sounds wonderful but I'm sure if our furnace of a summer didn't do it in here, our frosty winter would. Maria

This is the 2nd year for mine. I had my doubts about it coming back and it started off with 2 measley little clumps this year. However, now they are up 3 - 4 feet and look really good. It was beautiful last year but needed staking. I got mine at the Gourd Garden near Seagrove Beach. I'm sad to say the Gourd Garden has since closed.

mine is flowering here, it is very rigid. Cant really imagine it limpy and falling over. Mine is in full sun to 3/4 sun. It gets water every 3 days or so. More when it is in the upper 90's (currently) and 100's. But does very well. All of my winter perennials are budding as we speak. wagneriana, purpurea, gesneriiflora, holwayi, no karwinskii yet. Mine also has a few macrophylla's in front of it though.

One of the great pleasures of salvias is that every year is different even if the basic plants are the same. It has been very hot and dry here this summer and that same batch of sages you mention as having thrived have done poorly for me. That big pink splendens which you clued me into is just now recovering from all the heat and may actually be OK by mid month. The guaranticas with regular watering came through alright except for the Van Remsen, which was well beyond that, a 7 foot stunner. The involucratas have yet to bloom at all and some hardly bothered to grow. I'm wondering whether to just stick with Mulberry Jam which has been blooming very well since July and has topped five feet. Probably not, since involucrata has its own special qualities that I would miss. This has been the year of the bush sages. Of the 10 or so Richard sent me microphylla Orange Door has been the most impressive. It nearly as strong a grower as neurepia and for some unknown reason is loved by every woman that sees it.