Older leaves turning yellow on the stems of Euphorbia lambii is completely normal for this plant, and doesn't represent any sort of problem, it is just what the plant does to start looking more "tree-like" as it gets height. After 6 months of being in the ground, it probably doesn't need but once a month watering in the dry months, it is a pretty drought tolerant plant. If it doesn't bloom this spring, for sure it will bloom next year in winter/spring. The flowers on this are very similar to E. characias, except they don't extend as tall above the foliage, but they are the same chartreuse green in color. If you don't want Euphorbias to self sow around the garden, you'll need to cut off the seed heads before they dry out and pop seeds all over the area.

planted my last load of neem seeds, and a few are showing radicals :) so with any luck i'm sorted. (germ notes..) i received them from india last autumn.. some germed then but didn't survive the winter. had slow germs and issues with fungus gnats in early spring. 24 hour soak, husked them.. i like to germinate in a tupperware with a 1/2" of perlite on the bottom and a 1/4" of water, occasionally dropping some h2o2 if there's a fungus outbreak. they go in soil when they've got a nice radical.

Not counting the feral cherry tomatoes, I've found lobelia popping up everywhere, even though it's been years since I had any. The oddest thing I've discovered is a daylily of a variety that I've never had; I noticed the leaves coming up last year and didn't bother to pull them out as weeds because of my habit of forgetting that I'd planted something...but the daylilies that I purposely grow are yellow, where this is one of those white with purple dots at the throat that you find in shopping center landscaping. Ironically, I had collected some seeds of this variety last year, but they are still sitting in an envelope on my dresser. o_O

Update (2013 follow-up) of successful steep slope plantings on a dry sandy slope in So. Calif. In my previous post, I listed drought-tolerant Calif. natives used in my initial plantings. But the fire department does NOT like summer-deciduous plants such as sages. And as water was reduced, plants such as Wooly Blue Curls did not survive. It has been a 10-year project and this is how I turned a steep dry sandy slope into a drought-tolerant garden: 1) Basic Calif-native trees & shrubs were planted (a couple of Coast Live Oaks, lots of fire-resistant Toyons, McMinn Manzanitas, Sunset Manzanitas and the wonderful Hollyleaf Cherry are good choices). At the driest upper areas, Palo Verde Trees were planted for their deep tap roots and provide 25% shade cover when leafed out during the summer. 2) The slope is very steep. As I worked the sloped while planting and watering, a curvy informal foot trail started to form. As the trees and shrubs took hold of the soil, these foot trails were gradually deepened. Most native ground covers are sold as tiny little things that can't get a hold on steep slopes or are buried under a shovel of dirt unless planted at the base of an agave for protection. Tip: Buckwheat prostrate is a great steep-slope ground-cover that drapes down and hides the vertical cut edge of pathways. 3) The native flower shrubs (Wooly Blue Curls) died. Calif. Fushia is very dought resistant and is best if tucked under an agave to brighten up the driest desert plantings at the upper level. As the trees, shrubs and trails became established, lots of agaves were added to hold the surface soil. Cabbage-sized boulders were often used to hold new plants into the slope. 4) Erosion: A line of three monster Blue Agaves were planted in a horizontal line whenever a "dam" was needed to divert rainwater from running straight down the slope. The maturing slope contours (trails) were gradually deepened and dirt bermed up so that rainwater would travel across the slope and flow into collection basins behind trees and shrubs along the way. The pathway/contours took a lot of time to evolve but was well worth the effort. Instead of walking "on" the slope, the deepened pathways amongst the plantings now gives the feeling of a nature hike. 5) Gradually, non-native plants (aloes) were added to the semi-shaded areas. For the upper "desert" area, tons of barrel cactus and agaves were used as a ground cover alongside uprights such as pony-tail palms and colorful upright non-native Sticks on Fire & Crown of Thorns. This large (1/2 acre) hot dry, sandy steep slope was a real challenge and still is not finished. To make things look right on a large steep slope, you will need dozens of each plant to form groupings. You can use dozens of spikey Agave Geminiflora to give the illusion of a "meadow". Dozens of Golden Barrel cactus planted in an informal "swirl" along a switchback gives the impression of a flower garden from a distance. With a little imagination and a lot work, a steep slope can become a beautiful garden. Take courage, though, because it takes YEARS before others are able to "see" what you have planted. And on difficult slopes, it is better to overplant your basics of trees & shrubs because on a contoured steep slope, a sprinkler grid is too complex and you will lose some trees/shrubs when hand-watering is reduced.