March 24, 2016 Will Jolley Plants & Ideas for Low Water-Use Gardens
From Bruce Van Dyke in 1990 “ Drought-Tolerant Gardens”: “The frequent and wasteful usage of water is a luxury that gardeners in Southern California can no longer afford. We will be monitored by our consciences and our water meters to reduce our usage and avoid any unnecessary wastage The ul?mate solu?on to living with our drought condi?ons lies in the proper plant selec?on for our landscaping. Drought-tolerant gardening does not necessarily mean being content with a bed of gravel and a few cactus and agaves scaCered throughout.”
25 Years Later, the Conversa4on Con4nues…
Here’s how we start by preparing the space
Click a picture, and then click the Format Picture tab to create your own frames and A carefully-placed make picture correcLons walkway allows the such as adjusLng contrast new front yard to and brightness or cropping be enjoyed up close the picture for just the right look.
Appropriate watering, especially early on, is key to success!
Just 9 months later…. Success! A vigorous, beau4ful low-water use garden.
Low water-use Hall of Fame #1: Dianella caerula ‘Cassa Blue’ (Flax Lily): A disLncLve, compact, soR blue, medium-textured, strap-leafed perennial that grows to 18 inches tall by as wide. In Spring and Summer it appears yellow-throated, dark-blue flowers that rise about 1 foot above the foliage and are followed by large, lilac blue- colored fruit.
Low water-use Hall of Fame #2: Nandina domes?ca (Alba 'Lemon-Lime’) is deer- and disease/pest-resistant, easy to care for and water-wise. Preferring full-sun to part-shade exposure, it grows to 3-4’ H x 3-4’ W. This evergreen prefers well-drained soils and has moderate growth rate.
Low water-use Hall of Fame #3: Euphorbia robbiae (Wood spurge) is a valued plant for evergreen ground cover in shady areas. Neat rosebes of dark green foliage with large rounded spikes of green flowers appearing in May. Easy to grow in most condiLons, even dry shade. Height 0.5 m, spread 1.5 m.
Low water-use Hall of Fame #4: Erigeron karvinskianus ( Santa Barbara daisy) is a sprawling or training evergreen perennial to 10-20 inches tall, spreading wider. AbracLve daisies ¼ inch across are white, pink or nearly red. Blossoming is nearly conLnuous. Average soil or poor, sun or light shade. Highly drought tolerant. Good bank cover.
Low water-use Hall of Fame #5: Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) is an evergreen shrub or small tree naLve to the Mediterranean region and western Europe. Arbutus unedo grows to 5–10 m tall, rarely up to 15 m, with a trunk diameter of up to 80 cm. The leaves are dark green and glossy with white (and, rarely, pale pink) flowers that are bell shaped. The fruit is a red berry, 1-2 cm in diameter with a rough surface. It matures in about 12 months, in Fall, at the same Lme as the next flowering. It is edible and tastes similar to a fig (but no one ever eats one twice!)
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