Getting out and going wild

THE GARDEN FANATIC

“Hiking for its own sake, for the sheer animal pleasure of good

condition and brisk exercise, is ... an easy thing ... to

comprehend.”

-- STATE OF UTAH BULLETIN

“In wildness is the preservation of the world.”

-- HENRY DAVID THOREAU

Mother’s Day brunch had left me feeling full and less than sassy.

I imagined where I wanted to be and found myself putting on my hiking

boots. Meanwhile, Catharine grabbed the sunscreen and water bottles.

Soon, we found ourselves hiking on the Old Corral Trail, in the Aliso

and Wood Canyon Wilderness Park.

This hike was a pleasant adventure into a treasured wilderness --

4,000 acres, two year-round streams, and an opportunity to visit

plants that live in the wild. We were blessed with a glorious blue

sky and a gentle breeze -- sycamores swayed and ducks floated

unfettered at our first water crossing.

Moving in the opposite direction of a family of mountain bikers,

we left the main thoroughfare for a more intimate footpath. We

immediately encountered the blazing yellowish orange of the sticky

monkey flower, Diplacus aurantiacus. This wildflower brightens both

the natural and home landscape during the spring and summer. Nestled

nearby, within a field of grasses, was a gorgeous stand of mariposa,

Calochortus splendens. This charming native lily is pale lavender to

lilac and may also be grown in the garden.

Wildflowers are usually seen on the protected eastern and northern

sides of hills, where the soil is a good sandy loam. Most of these

natives grow rapidly. When spring arrives they will shoot up and

bloom profusely for a number of weeks, and as the weather heats up,

disappear with the same rapidity.

Many gardeners try to introduce the brilliant red of the coast

paintbrush, Castilleja affinis, into their garden. Invariably they

will fail, as these plants are dependent on the roots of a host for

water. In some cases, they are beneficial to its host. The paintbrush

seems to help plants that have been damaged by deer or mountain

bikes, conserve water. This enables the host plant to get a fresh

start and sprout new leaves.

Continuing westward, we were drawn to the pink flowers of the wild

rose, Rosa Californica -- Catharine discovered that the flowers are

quite fragrant. Flowering though July, the hips are an important food

source for “residents” of the park.

Blue-eyed grass, Sisyrinchium bellum, lined our walkway as we

paused to admire an egret foraging for dinner. It blooms with

exuberant blue-purple flowers and is a useful ornamental plant.

Adjacent were the pretty deep blue flowers of the Wild hyacinth,

Dichelostemma pulchellum. A bulb, also known as Blue dicks, it

thrives in sunny banks in the garden and blooms for several months.

Our final descent found us in a field of Black mustard, Brassica

nigra. Although the yellow flowers are breathtaking, it is considered

an alien in this locale and is being eradicated in other local

wilderness parks. Soon we were under a canopy of Coast live oak,

Quercus agrifolia, the pathway now cool and refreshing. As we reached

the mouth of Wood Canyon, we stopped briefly and enjoyed the sounds

of wild birds and the refreshing solitude of nature. Keep it wild and

see you next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is the owner of Landscapes by Laguna Nursery,

1540 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. He is married to local writer,

Catharine Cooper, and has three cats. He can be reached at (949) 497

2438, or by e-mail at [email protected].