Ceanothus

I think I want to try again with Ceanothus americanus -- New Jersey Tea.  The several I tried here before failed. I tried twice in 2018 with little plants from the Waterwise sale, but one got stepped on, the other struggled with my inconsistent watering I think.

This did not survive

That was before I had irrigation. New Jersey Tea wants dry, rocky, lean soil but needs to get started with good irrigation. It's tricky.

In 2020 I tried again with a small plant from High Country Gardens but it arrived tiny and in poor shape and I planted it in too much shade and moist soil.

Now here I am again, wanting to try another one. HCG has it.

The reason I am so persistent is that I loved this plant in Connecticut. 

In my CT garden in late June and early July

It was truly beautiful although I lost it after a few years due to wet conditions and competition. It was in rich soil there, not its best conditions. It wants dry and poor soil.

On a whim I've added two Ceanothus plants to my HCG order. One might fill the small empty spot between the two stands of irises, right in front of the redbud trunk.

The New jersey Tea bloomed briefly in my old garden in late June and early July, so it will be after the irises flower and after the yellow pompoms of the small buckwheat flowers. It would be sited just behind the blue Texas mealycup sages and the red Mexican sage and those bloom well into summer.

There is no emitter right at that spot, although the redbud gets watered. The New Jersey Tea won't need extra irrigation if I can get it going at first.

It might fit that empty spot and provide a leafy backdrop for the taller spiky sages in the circle in front of it. 

IF it grows. If.

Why am I even thinking of trying ceanothus again after three failures?? This has all the earmarks of another disappointment. 

But it's winter right now and all things in the garden are possible.