Common name:Mexican Feather Grass
Botanical name:Nassella tenuissima
This ornamental grass grows to 2' tall. It goes partially dormant during the summer but green in spring and fall. It prefers a sunny, well drained site. This plant can be invasive in some areas, so use caution. To keep reseeding to a minimum, drip irrigation will be best. Cut back in early spring to remove dormant foliage and dried seed heads. It can also tolerate dry shade. It grows to 10" wide and is the finest textured of the ornamental grasses.
Common name:Aromas Sage
Botanical name:Salvia clevelandii 'Aromas'
The Aromas Sage is a selection that stays more compact than the Cleveland Sage and grows to about 3'-5' high and wide. It has distinctively fragrant, gray green foliage and whorls of violet blue flowers in spring and summer. It can withstand strong winds and is deer resistant. It prefers full sun and well draining soil.
Common name:Fox Tail Agave, Velvet Agave
Botanical name:Agave attenuata
This Agave has a dramatic tropical form. Even light frost can damage its succulent leaves. It is great for containers. In the low desert, partial sun will be best. If it becomes top heavy, simply cut and stick in the ground to root. It is not a fast grower and has light green foliage. It will also die after flowering but pups around the mother will survive. Distinctive with its large rosette of leaves perched on a long curving trunk, it is a native from Mexico.
Common name:Liquidambar, American Sweet Gum
Botanical name:Liquidambar styraciflua
A tall, deciduous tree of upright, pyramidal habit, the Liquidambar has dark green, maple-like leaves that turn beautiful shades of red and yellow in the fall season. It can be used as a single specimen, hedge, or grouped plant.
Common name:Blue Sage
Botanical name:Salvia 'Allen Chickering'
The Allen Chickering Sage is a perennial shrub that grows 2'-5' high and 2'-4' wide. It has blue flowers that bloom in the spring and summer. This shrub is native to California and is drought tolerant.
In the natural world the endless cycle of birth, growth, decay, death and rebirth flows throughout the seasons. Plants die, leaves fall and new growth springs up in its place. Nothing is lost and the fallen leaves and dead plants decay into the soil, enriching it for the next generation of growth.
Click in the green box for more information
Click in the green box for more information
Designer: Earthscapes | Dry Creek Bed Entry |
Photographer: GardenSoft |
Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.
Be sure to fix all leaks promptly no matter how small they may seem.
Remove irrigation water and fertilizer from areas where you don't want weeds to grow.