Cascalote grows as a large shrub to small tree that is semi-evergreen to deciduous with a low branching habit, 15-20 ft. tall and as wide. Trunks and branches are covered with heavy thorns; leaves are bipinnately divided into 8-10 pairs of rounded leaflets. Long arching panicles of lemon-yellow flowers grow above the foliage in late […]
Many Hometalk members have recently posted about succulents, and Debra Lee Baldwin has a useful post on companion plants for them on her blog, Gardening Gone Wi…
Low water and low maintenance, California Friendly gardens strive to conserve our resources and keep our waterways clean. These gardens have it all: bold forms and also strong on color and texture.
These shrubs were original to the older garden, and have fabulous foliage color over 8 months of the year. They do require frequent pruning to shape them and control density. Some of these had gotten way too lanky.
Low water and low maintenance, California Friendly gardens strive to conserve our resources and keep our waterways clean. These gardens have it all: bold forms and also strong on color and texture.
This New Zealand Hebe doesn't have much of a floral show, but the foliage takes on deeper bronze/orange tints seasonally, and is a beautiful foliage contrast plant to use in the garden or containers. The finer leafed Hebe species are usually more frost tolerant, but none of them do well in hot inland conditions away from coastal influence; if planted there, give them dappled sun or a cooler north exposure and only water in the cooler hours of the night to avoid hot wet soils in summer at the root zone.
We’ve all gotten the message: California is parched by a drought of biblical proportions that shows no signs of ending soon, and we have to use less water from now on. When it comes to our ya…
We have been very impressed with this stunning new selection of Podocarpus from Japanese nurseryman, Yoshio Sato. Podocarpus ‘Miu’ is a wonderfully variegated selection that has shown a good dense habit, great coloration, and no burning in full sun. Since so many Americans purchase plants based on the name, and Japanese cultivar names make plants
Explore David Feix Landscape Design's 9207 photos on Flickr!
Here in California and other arid states, we're really having to watch our water. But that does not mean that we have to forego lush, colorful, flowery gardens! Thanks to California native plants and many varieties from other dry climates like the Mediterranean and Australia, we have a huge selection of drought tolerant flowering shrubs and perennials to choose from. BASIC DESIGN TIPS FOR A DROUGHT TOLERANT COTTAGE GARDEN I. REDUCE YOUR LAWN: Lawns are not a key feature for a cottage garden anyway, and making them smaller will give you more room for those gorgeous colorful flowers. There are three basic techniques to do this: -- Turn the big square lawn into a small, free form shape surrounded by planting beds, or perhaps a grass path between the plants. -- Use native grasses such as Blue Grama, Sedge, or Buffalo grass. These give a soft meadowy look, and do not need to be mowed. Once established, they need no water during the winter, and only occasional water in summer. -- Use artificial lawns. This ain't your daddy's Astroturf! It looks great and although a bit pricey to install, it makes up for the cost in zero water, maintenance, and fertilizer use. II. USE RAISED BEDS: You can edge the beds with cobbles, bricks, wood, broken pieces of concrete (a great recycling use for an old concrete driveway being torn up), or keystone. Try to match the material to the style of your house. Or, you can simply mound a few yards of good planting mix and plant in that. Add compost and a balanced organic fertilizer, and the good soil will reduce water runoff and waste. Make sure that the beds are at least three feet wide so that you can plant in three layers: high, medium, and low. III. ADD FOCAL POINTS like birdbaths, benches, fountains, statuary, or mirrors on the wall. This is a design, rather than drought tolerant, tip. IV. PLANT IN A 'NATURAL' STYLE, combining flowers, vegetables, shrubs, herbs, and climbing vines. Let the colors mingle and alter the heights of the plants in a non-formal way. Add tuteurs or topiary shapes to give some vertical lines, and mix in some spiky plants (flax, kangaroo paw) to contrast with the broad leaf plants. GREAT DROUGHT TOLERANT PLANTS FOR THE 'COTTAGE' LOOK: PURPLE/LAVENDER/PINK: Tall plants: Ceanothus, Manzanita, Waxflower, Russian sage, Melaluca Pink Melaluca Russian sage (Perovskia) Medium : Sweet lavender, Indian Hawthorne 'Jack Evans' or 'Pink Ballerina', Penstemon, Rockrose. Lavender Manzanita Short : Rosy buckwheat, Pelargonium, Monarda, Thrift, purple Alyssum Monarda Buckwheat BLUE: Tall: Ceanothus 'Dark Star,', Blue Juniper Ceanothus Podocarpus 'Icee Blue" Medium: Perovskia, Salvia 'Indigo Spires', 'Waverly', or clevelandii, Westringia 'Wynnabie Gem' Salvia Waverly Short : Scabiosa, trailing rosemary, Convolvulus groundcover, Cranesbill 'Johnson's Blue.' Scabiosa YELLOW, RED, ORANGE: Tall: Grevillea 'Long John', Bottlebrush, Cotoneaster, Arborvitae 'Aureum' Grevillea "Long John" Medium: Tagetes, Leonitis, Penstemon, Salvia 'greggii', Jerusalem sage Penstemon Short: Gazania, Mimulus, Lantana, Grevillea 'Golden Dragon' Grevillea 'Golden Dragon Mimulus 'WHITE/CHARTREUSE/SILVER: Tall: Pittosporum tenufolium 'Marjorie Channon' or 'Silver Magic,' Matilija poppy, white Waxflower Waxflower (white flowers) Pittosporum 'Marjorie Channon' Matijila poppy Medium: Salvia apiana, Westringia, dwarf fruitless Olive bush, Tansy, Morning Glory bush Westringia Salvia apiana Low: Yarrow (white flower), Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost', Heuchera 'Lime Rickey,' Euphorbia 'wulfenii' ' Euphorbia wulfenii Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' SPIKY ACCENT PLANTS: Phormium (flax), Kangaroo Paw, Sedge Phormium 'Rainbow Queen' Kangaroo Paw Sedge BURGUNDY ACCENT PLANTS: Lophomyrtus, Coprosma 'County Park Red,' Euphorbia 'Blackbird', Heuchera 'Purple Ruffles' Lophomyrtus Coprosma Cordyline Euphorbia 'Blackbird'
Succulents are often-unsung heroes of a gardener’s palette of plants, they are hardy little rippers, able to survive in conditions where lesser plants wouldn’t stand a chance, while still looking lush and perky. Here’s why we love succulents – the little champions.
