SHARING SECRETS: Has this Summer's Weather Affected Your Plans for Fall Planting?
by Cathy Tylka, for Let's Talk Plants! November 2026.
Question of the month –
Has this summer's weather affected your plans for fall planting? How?
Gerald D. Sewart of 92084 replied…
The high heatwaves killed a few rare, difficult to find, colorfully-foliaged plants destined for the front yard re-landscape, so the effect is I have less work to do this fall!
Carol Cornelius states…
I’m delayed fall planting due to heat and drought. Have not planted yet.
Daniel Garborg responded…
Not at all, I’ve just been powering thru, as if everything is normal .
Pat Pawlosksi of 92083 chats with us…
What is growing in my yard that is good to eat? It depends on if you are a butterfly--like Monarchs enjoying milkweed leaves, or the nectar. I could go on and on about that! But if it is a "people's choice", I would have to say avocados. Actually, though, when I first arrived here from Philly, I was sort of repulsed by avocados, in all sorts of ways. Later, I learned to appreciate them--but still not as much as I appreciate a good Philly cheesesteak. Anyway, the only reason I have a mature avocado tree (Hass, by the way) is that it was part of a grove that had been stumped to make way for houses. Heavy rains about ten years ago encouraged one of the stumps to resurrect itself, so I added a sprinkler and eventually was able to reap the benefits, eating-wise. But an avocado is still a far cry from a cheesesteak.
Ida Rigby of 92064 shares…
Three months of most days over 100 and many at 105 and 106 in our Poway valley scorched roses and desiccated a few Southwest natives and South African plants. I felt reassured when I read Mike Evan’s essay in his September 2026-09 Vol.1 N. 9 California Native Horticultural Foundation email, so I offer them here: “Many of us (all of us?) will be happy to see this last summer in the rear view mirror. Brutal heat waves that all seemed to connect to make one long heat wave. If your garden plants suffered sunburn, root rot, desiccation, or any other associated malady, welcome to the club. If certain plants went downhill fast, and a fancy diagnosis would help ease the pain, let’s call it ‘episodic environmental’ demise and/or at best, damage. Consolation: Fall.”
Now that I have identified survivors and casualties I’ll emphasize planting more of the survivors and be more cautious with experiments on latitude, altitude, coast plants and island dwellers, but not exclude them entirely. We gardeners just cannot resist some experimentation. With natives I can usually push the latitude and altitude somewhat, but no more. I may try a little more shade for some, but no more Polynanathemum californium (mountain mint) and no more Lepechinia fragrans (fragrant Pitcher Sage) even in the shade, nor Penstemon Keckiella antirrhinoides (yellow Bush Penstemon).
All are toast.
Some survivors like Encelia California (coast sunflower), Eriogonum parvifolium (Coastal of Seacliff Buckwheat) I will plant again. Salvia ‘Dara’s Choice’ (photo) survived in the partial shade; in the sun Salvia ‘Mrs Beard’ expired (photo). I love ‘Dara’s Choice’s electric blue flowers, so as she survived with coddling I’ll try a few more. I learned that any salvia (I have a number) with mellifera in its name is fine with the dryness and heat.
For the back garden I followed Mike Evans’s program of “deep soaks and refreshing sprinkles” for the natives I planted last fall. My fall planting program this year is mostly going to be filling in with native salvias, so I’ll focus on them here.
Pictured are survivors S. 'Dara’s Choice', S. 'Bee’s Bliss’ (photo), S. ’Point Sal’ (photo) [which survived with vigor in the front garden along with Eriogonum fasciculatum (California buckwheat), Heteromeles arbutifolias (toyons) and Quercis englemannii (Englemann oaks) on only the season rain fall]. S. ’Terra Seca’ (photo), as the name implies, survived with Mike’s program as did S. ‘Jade Carpet’ (photo). Erigonum ‘Warriner Lytle’, E. giganeum (St. Catherine’s Lace), E. arborescens (Sta. Cruz Island buckwheat) (photo)and E. grande var. rubescens (Redflowered buckwheat). To my delight, Baileya multiradiata (desert marigold) is still alive. The flowers were lovely last spring and early summer, and I plan to plant a border of them in a few weeks. They need to be watered very judiciously. My Malacothammus fasiculatum (Chaparral Mallow) is thriving, and of course the experiment with Malacothammus lucianus ‘Hanging Valley’ from the Santa Lucia Mountains was a dismal failure. Some island natives did just fine, such as S. brandegeii (Island Black Sage) from Santa Rosa Island and Galvezia speciosa (island snapdragon). Some of my Baja Dudley’s are very unhappy.
Among the most garden friendly natives for me have been Salvia ‘Pozo Blue’ (one of which is over 10 years old) and Sphaeralecea ‘Newleaze Coral’, which needs round supports but then continuously produces a lovely, wide fountain of orange flowers. By and large, for natives that paid attention to their area of origin, the survived rate was reassuring. By way of conclusion, the best survivors were of course the plants that self-seeded from the hillside, such as our concluding image, Artemisia californica. California sage), and a Rhus ovata (sugar bush). I do not tolerate all self-seeders and immediately uproot invaders like the Adenostoma fasciculatum (chamise), which is spreading all over the hillside and unwelcome in the garden. Gardening can be very binary: Lives or dies. This summer pushed the limits here, so lots of lessons learned and constant fine tuning.
Pat Pawlowski of 92084...
Which right now feels like 92003 feels deserted. I finally decided to let my yard be "deserted" …is, I am adding more rough, tough, low water desert-type plants. The summer's heat this year (and the wind too) seemed to be going on into infinity. Several leafy casualties occurred so I decided to forgo planting any more water-loving prima donnas. From now on, I will only buy thirstless Terminator-style plants. Or so I say now.
Cathy Tylka of 92026 is ashamed to share…
Well, I’ve tried…The fact that I cannot water enough and the turtles are eating things they never have before, it’s Getting lonely in my garden. But, my copper-tone stonecrop is burned.
My aloes are burned and eaten.
However, my Banksia Rose, is growing like a weed. God figure.
On another note…my guava from last month did not get the picture in the files, so showing off again…
and I am typing the jam recipe, as the photo copied so poorly. Sorry.
Guava Chutney
4 cups guava pulp (scooped with lime juice to prevent discoloration)
1 ½ c cups sugar
1-2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Combine and cook, in pot on stove, slowly until thick, stirring often, about 30-45 minutes. Pour into hot, sterilized jars, and seal immediately. You can substitute finely chopped orange or lemon (including peel) for part of guava.
This year I had some leftover pears, so used them with raisins!
Tony Gurnoe from 92007 concludes...
I find nothing but frustration from planting out of sync with natural cycles, so I had been waiting diligently to start these plants for a partnership with The Stewardship Circle, a plant focused charity I recently created. Pictured are Baccharis vanessae seedlings. This is a little known and extremely rare local species, originally described from samples collected just a couple of miles from my home. As of 2018, when I first started working to conserve this species, that type locality in Encinitas had dwindled to merely 26 plants! Today we are growing these "Encinitas baccharis" to be donated to the Friends of International Friendship Park. Although the original garden on the U.S. side of International Friendship Park was destroyed by our federal government, the "Friends of" organization has secured a location away from the border wall to re-establish a garden based on the original communal intent. They requested some Encinitas baccharis plants as a way to celebrate our regional natural heritage, and as funny as it might sound, the table on my back patio is currently the only location in the entire world where these plants are being cultivated for distribution.
Question for next month…. We have had rain…Hurray!!! What is looking like fall in your garden, but in a pretty way? Do you have a favorite plant that blooms this time of year, or is getting ready to? Is some produce finally living up to it’s potential? Show me a positive side of the lovely autumn!
Cathy Tylka, RN, retired Emergency Nurse, found her love of plants and the SDHS merge many years ago. Cathy acted as Treasurer for the organization and volunteers for many activities. Now, she is more than happy to assist in gathering questions to ask you in the Sharing Secrets area of the Newsletter.
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