A recent column featured a Tulipa ‘Peer ‘Gynt’ that blooms annually in my garden. I acquired ‘Peer Gynt’ in 1991, during a visit to the Keukenhof botanical gardens, in the Netherlands.

That column included a fading display of this tulip so today’s photo gallery includes a 5-year-old better example of ‘Peer Gynt’ and other plants mentioned today.

This uncommon cultivar does not depend upon the same winter chill that other tulips require. According to the internet, this cultivar is no longer available.

So, to appreciate tulips in your garden, you can mailorder bulbs by mid-November and chill them at 55 degrees or lower before planting in January. Some mail-order nurseries have provided pre-chilled tulip bulbs, so you might search for such offers.

This unusual tulip encourages the exploration of other unusual cultivars that will succeed in the gardens in the moderate climate of the Monterey Bay area.

Lilacs

The Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is another desirable plant that requires a winter chill. Gardeners who have enjoyed Lilacs in cold-weather areas (e.g. Zones 3-7), and later relocated to a moderate climate like the Monterey Bay area (Zone 9) might miss the beauty and unique fragrance of Lilacs.

Fortunately, plant breeders have created a solution! About 50 years ago, hybridizers at the Descanso Gardens in Southern California developed several cultivars that grow and bloom well in moderate climates. My garden includes ‘Angel White’, ‘California Rose’ and ‘Lavender Lady’.

These hybrids grow 6 to 12 feet tall, which is easier to manage than the species, which can rise to 20 feet. Lilacs all bloom on second-year growth so cut them back right after flowering to allow growth for next year’s blooms.

Orchids

The Orchidaceae is one of the large plant families, with 28,000 currently accepted species distributed across 763 genera. This family includes many diverse plants that are highly attractive to gardeners and often challenging to grow.

Some gardeners succeed in growing orchids indoors, with regular attention to light, moisture, temperature, and fertilizer levels. For more info, visit the American Orchid Society’s website (aos.org) and search for “Orchid Care.”

These cultivation requirements can be time-consuming and (for some gardeners) too easily overlooked. It can require dedication to grow orchids.

Happily, the great diversity of the Orchid plant family includes a species that grows easily in a garden in a moderate climate environment. The Chinese Ground Orchid (Bletilla striata), also called the Hyacinth Orchid, given its striking lavender blossoms.

This plant is suitable for medium (loamy), well-drained soil. It grows in semi-shade and prefers moist soil. It flowers from May to June and spreads slowly over time.

Hostas

The Hosta or Plantain Lily, is an Asian plant genus of hardy, long-lived perennials with attractive foliage, growing in shady garden settings. Hostas are available in a wide and ever-increasing range of cultivars, growing typically 1 to 3 feet high and wide, although smaller and larger varieties are also available. Their leaves can be variegated white, lime green and blue-green, with diverse forms ranging from smooth and narrow to ridged and heart-shaped. They also produce pretty flowers from summer to fall, and support hummingbirds and other pollinators.

Overall, these are highly desirable plants for the shade garden.

Hostas do have a downside, however: they are very attractive to slugs and snails. Chewed leaves are markedly less attractive than untouched healthy foliage.

There is a two-part strategy for including snail-resistant Hostas in your shade garden.The first step is to select plants with thicker leaves, which are more difficult for slugs and snails to chew. Some recommended Hosta cultivars for snail resistance include ‘Halcyon’, ‘First Frost’, ‘Krossa Regal’, ‘June’, and ‘Sum & Substance’. While these are worth trying, success could depend upon the voraciousness of your garden’s snails and other environmental conditions. There are many other online recommendations for snail-resistant Hostas, as well.

The second step is to make regular use of snail bait as a backup plan. A good choice is Sluggo, based on iron phosphate, which occurs naturally in the soil.

There are several other ways to defend against slugs and snails: night patrols, copper rings, feathery predators (chickens or ducks), etc. Hosta lovers need to be prepared.

Peonies

Peonies are desirable plants with attractive white, pink or red blossoms (and a few yellow varieties), ranging across a wide range of forms. The genus Paeonia includes two sections: herbaceous peonies, which die back in the winter, and tree peonies, which are winter-deciduous but retain their woody stems.

Both herbaceous and tree peonies grow well in Zone 3-8, but do not thrive in the Monterey Bay area’s moderate Zone 9. There are, however, peony cultivars that are well-suited to gardens in the Monterey Bay area.

These are the Itoh Peonies, developed by Japanese botanist Dr. Toichi Itoh, who was the first to successfully create an intersectional hybrid of the herbaceous and tree peony. He accomplished this feat in 1948 but passed away in 1956 before seeing his seedlings reach full size and produce flowers.

His plants were nurtured by his family, and flowered in 1964. With the Itoh family’s permission, American botanist Louis Smirnow brought the plants to the United States and patented four Itoh hybrids with yellow flowers.

Other plant breeders replicated Itoh’s techniques and produced several new hybrids in both yellow and other colors.

For more about Itoh peonies, visit the website of the American Peony Society (americanpeonysociety.org) and click on “Learn” and “Itoh Peonies.”

These are fine plants for Monterey Bay Area gardens. Highly rated cultivars include ‘Garden Treasure’ and ‘Bartzella’ both of which have received Gold Medals and Awards of Landscape Merit.

Fruit trees

The Monterey Bay area’s gardens and nurseries include many fruit tree species. They are popular and successful plants.

It should be known, however, that some fruit trees are not well-suited to the local area’s moderate climate. Some require a warmer environment, and some require significant periods of winter chill.

Many years ago, when I was first motivated to add fruit trees to my new garden, my internet search led me to a nursery in the Midwest. I selected a few apple and pear trees, received the small plants, and installed them in my garden. After a few years, they grew nicely but did not produce any fruit. I learned that they were mid-west varieties requiring a chill period that would not occur in my garden.

One exception: the cultivar Cox’s Orange Pippin produced some fruit and has continued to grow in my garden. This is an antique variety that originated in England, around 1825. This plant is recommended for Zone 8 or lower, so it is not thriving at its best in my Zone 9 garden.

It was time to start over. I have since planted a Fuji, a Gala and a grafted Apple tree with multiple varieties. These are all doing well.

If you wish to add fruit trees to your garden, check their suitability by visiting the website of the California Rare Fruit Growers (crfg.org) and search for “low chill.” This search will yield a detailed list of fruit tree varieties that would succeed in a moderate-climate garden.

The CRFG’s Fruit List, currently in development, is a new and enlarged listing of cultural data for over 700 individual fruits.

There are many interesting fruit trees that you could include in your garden. For success, be sure to verify the suitability of the plant that appeals to you.

Tom Karwin is a past president of Friends of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and the Monterey Bay Iris Society, a past president and Lifetime Member of the Monterey Bay Area Cactus & Succulent Society, and a Lifetime UC Master Gardener (Certified 1999—2009). He is now a board member of the Santa Cruz Hostel Society, and active with the Pacific Horticultural Society. To view photos from his garden, https://www.facebook.com/ongardeningcom- 566511763375123/ . For garden coaching info and an archive of On Gardening columns, visit ongardening.com for earlier columns or visit www.santacruzsentinel.com/ and search for “Karwin” for more recent columns. Email comments or questions to gardening@karwin.com.