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Also known as Passionfruit. With lots of delicious fruit for salads, sherbets or eating right out of hand, the intricate 3.5" flowers will delight you and the Gulf Fritillaries from early summer through fall. Wait until the fruit darkens to purple and drops from the vine before eating. You can leave the fruit to ripen further for a sweeter taste, or add sugar. Evergreen and quick growing, ‘Frederick’ can easily reach 15' high and wide but can be made smaller by cutting back to 1' in winter. It’s is one of the hardiest of the Passifloras, surviving winter wet and brief frosts (to 20 degrees F) with grace, going semi-deciduous. Takes heat well, too! An annual side-dress of compost will keep it lush and happy. Self-pollinating. Does not self-sow. Sun/part Sun, average water.

Also known as Japanese Citron. In the fall, this thorny tree produces lumpy, medium-sized, yellow to orange fruits that are uniquely fragrant and highly prized as flavoring agents in Asian cuisine, and for marmalade. Yuzu trees are among the cold-hardiest of all citrus. 
   The yuzu's flavor is tart, closely resembling that of the grapefruit, with overtones of Mandarin orange. It is rarely eaten as a fruit, though in the Japanese cuisine its aromatic zest (outer rind) is used to garnish some dishes, and its juice is commonly used as a seasoning, somewhat like the way the lemon is used in other cuisines. 
   Yuzu is also known for its characteristically strong aroma, and the oil from its skin is marketed as a fragrance. In Japan, bathing with yuzu on Toji (the winter solstice) is a popular custom. The whole fruits are floated in the hot water of the bath (sometimes enclosed in a cloth bag), releasing their aroma. The fruit may also be cut in half, allowing the citrus juice to mingle with the bathwater. The yuzuyu, or yuzu bath, is said to guard against colds, warm the body, and relax the mind.

 

REIMAGINING THE CALIFORNIA LAWN:
Water-conserving Plants, Practices, and Designs

Cachuma Press 2011, $27.95 paperback

Californians are avid gardeners, and for good reason. Throughout much of the state, outdoor gardening activities are enhanced by mild weather, frost-free nights, and relatively fertile soils. Like elsewhere in the country, water-loving lawns have been a major element in our gardens. (more)