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This euphorbia puts thrill in fill


Diamond Mountain euphorbia has tiny winged flowers. It's new from Proven Winners. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)

Euphorbia fills in beautifully between Supertunia and Angelonia.
New plant introduction: Frilly but tough Diamond Mountain loves Sacramento heat



One plant can change a whole family's reputation. It can put the thrill into fill.

Such is the case with a surprising euphorbia that should find a home on California patios for many summers to come. Called Diamond Mountain, this euphorbia hybrid is a new introduction from Proven Winners. It's similar to an earlier introduction, Diamond Frost, but bigger -- 24 to 36 inches tall and wide.

Euphorbia is better known by its common name: spurge. Sacramento gardeners rank spurge among their most hated weeds. But euphorbia is a big family, and this hybrid plays up its good points. What makes spurge such a persistent weed works for Diamond Mountain: It has very low-water demands, needs no maintenance, withstands intense heat, grows quickly and blooms like crazy -- in full sun or mostly shade.

Diamond Mountain also plays an underappreciated but very useful role: It's good filler. Like baby's breath in bouquets, it's a tiny little white flower that fills the gaps around the big showy blooms. But those little flowers make their counterparts look better and visually hold the arrangement together.
That same concept works in container gardens and larger landscape beds. With its strange winged white flowers, Diamond Mountain sparkles in part shade -- or moonlight. It's a very attractive supporting player.

Hardy in zones 10 and 11, Diamond Mountain is right on the edge of its comfort zone in Sacramento's 9b, where it likely will die off due to winter frost. But I expect mine to keep blooming through November; since it stays pretty warm on the patio.

Diamond Mountain LOVED this Sacramento summer. It thrived in a large container with two other test plants, Angelface Steel Blue summer snapdragon (an Angelonia hybrid) and cascading Supertunia Vista Bubblegum (a highly rated pink petunia hybrid). All three are non-stop bloomers and complemented each other well. With its airy cloud of flowers, the euphorbia proved to be the head turner. Visitors wondered, "What is that?! "

Another plus: Diamond Mountain didn't get eaten by bugs. While snails chewed on the petunia and something else nibbled Angelface, the euphorbia grew untouched, thanks probably to its white latex sap. (That sticky sap can cause allergic reactions or skin irritation; wear gloves when working with this plant.)

Diamond Mountain has attractive foliage, too, that forms a softly mounded green pillow beneath the long-stemmed frilly blooms. It's such a delicate look for a very tough plant, and opened my eyes to euphorbia's potential. Next time I hear euphorbia, I won't automatically think spurge.

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Flowers in My Back Yard Series

Aug. 18: Pollinators adore scabiosa, aka pincushion flower

Aug. 11: Hardy hibiscus adds big tropical impact

Aug. 4: Dianthus a deceptively hardy flower

July 28: Naked Ladies put on summer show

July 21: Thank Luther Burbank for these long-lasting beauties (Shasta daisies)

July 14: How to keep hydrangeas happy

July 7: Grow these bright cosmos for bees and butterflies

June 30: Agapanthus adds blue fireworks to the garden

June 23: Easy-care gazanias fill those hot corners

June 16: Daylilies are perfect for water-wise gardens (and a lot more)

June 9: Grow coneflowers for pollinators -- and yourself

June 2: Sunflowers capture Sacramento's summer attitude

May 29: Are your roses going 'blind'?

May 26: Zinnias are the summer flowers every garden needs

May 19: Plant dahlias now for late-summer flower power

May 12: Know your coreopsis from your bidens

May 5: Mums the word on Mother's Day weekend

April 28: Majestic Matilija poppy is worth a look

April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower

April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact

April 7: Calendulas do double duty

April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come

March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)

March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots

March 17: The perfect flower for beginners? Try zonal geraniums

March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come

March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy

Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?

Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come

Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers

Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses

Feb. 3: Why grow flowers?

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Find our summer recipes here!

Garden checklist for week of Aug. 16

During this break in the heat, feed your garden. Make sure to water before and after applying fertilizer.

* In the garden, direct seed beets, carrots, leaf lettuce and turnips.

* Plant potatoes.

* Harvest tomatoes, beans, squash, pepper and eggplants to prompt plants to keep producing. Give your plants a deep watering twice a week, more if planted in containers. Also, give them a boost with phosphate-rich fertilizer to help fruiting.

* Watch out for caterpillars and hornworms in the vegetable garden. They can strip a plant bare in one day. Pick them off plants by hand in early morning or late afternoon.

* Feed citrus trees their last round of fertilizer for the year. This will give a boost to the fruit that’s still small.

* Mulch can be your garden’s best friend – it conserves moisture while blocking out weeds. But don't let mulch mound around stalks, stems or trunks. That can promote rot.

* Camellia leaves looking a little yellow? Give them some chelated iron. That goes for azaleas and gardenias, too.

* Pick up after your fruit trees. Clean up debris and dropped fruit; this cuts down on insects and prevents the spread of brown rot. Then feed fruit trees with slow-release fertilizer for better production for next year.

* To prolong bloom into fall, feed begonias, fuchsias and container plants. Always water before fertilizing.

* Fertilize fall-blooming perennials, too. Chrysanthemums can be fed until the buds start to open.

* Prepare for a fall full of flowers by paying a little extra attention to your garden. Cut off spent blooms from roses, annuals and perennials, then give them a boost of fertilizer. Make sure to water plants before feeding. Roses will rebloom about six to eight weeks after deadheading.

* Indoors, start seedlings for fall vegetable planting, including bunching onion, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, radicchio and lettuce.

* Sow seeds of perennials in pots for fall planting including yarrow, coneflower and salvia.

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Taste Fall! E-cookbook

Muffins and pumpkin

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Taste Winter! E-cookbook

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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series

Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening

WINTER

Is edible gardening possible indoors?

Hints for choosing tomato seeds

Starting in seed starting

Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees

When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants

How to squeeze more food into less space

Potatoes from the garden

Plant a fruit tree now -- for later

Win the weed war by tackling them in winter

Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables

Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space

Ways to win the fight against weeds

FALL

Add asparagus to your edible garden

Soggy soil and what to do about it

Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come

It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying

What to do with all those fallen leaves?

Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden

Plant a pea patch for you and your garden

As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers

Change is in the autumn air 

We don't talk (enough) about beets

Fava beans do double duty

Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?

How to prolong the fall tomato harvest 

SUMMER

Time to shut it down? 

How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch

Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning

To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?

: Put worms to work for you

Grow food while saving water

Enhance your food with edible flowers

Why won't my tomatoes turn red?

A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty

Does this plant need water?

 Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions

How to grow summer salad greens

 Weird stuff that's perfectly normal

SPRING

Help pollinators help your garden

Battling early-season tomato pests

Make your own compost

Where are the bees when you need them?

How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days

Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can

Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success

What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?

Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)

Grow culinary herbs in containers

When to plant summer vegetables

Don't be fooled by these garden myths

Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth