Landscape Ideas
Get a little leaf cordia 4. Little-Leaf Cordia (Cordia parvifolia) Native to the desert regions of Mexico, including Baja, Chihuahua and Sonora The papery white flowers of this Mexican native add a neutral color that enhances the impact of other colors in the landscape. Despite the delicate appearance of its flowers, this large shrub is anything but. Little-leaf cordia’s ability to handle the heat and sun, as well as periods of drought, makes it a popular choice for low-maintenance landscapes. Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 degrees Celsius (Zone 8) Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Full, reflected sun or light shade Mature size: 4 to 8 feet tall and 4 to10 feet wide
My backyard Plant Select® Botanical name: Agastache rupestris Common names: Threadleaf giant hyssop, sunset hyssop, hummingbird mint Origin: Native to the mountains of the southern Southwest and northern Mexico Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 26 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 5 to 10; find your zone) Water requirement: Drought-tolerant once established Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 2 feet tall and 15 inches wide
Jocelyn H. Chilvers Save Email Long flowering, low water. Botanical name: Zinnia grandiflora Common names: Rocky Mountain zinnia, prairie zinnia, desert zinnia Origin: Native to the southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees (USDA climate zones 4 to 7; find your zone) Elevation range: 4,000 to 6,000 feet Water requirement: Very low Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 6 to 8 inches tall and 10 to 15 inches wide Benefits and tolerances: Very long blooming — June to frost; very drought and heat tolerant; deer and rabbit resistant When to plant: Spring Seasonal interest: Rocky Mountain zinnia flowers prolifically from June to frost (the photographs here
Texas Wild Olive Tree or shrub - Plant flowering ground covers, such as autumn sage (Salvia greggii), Blue Bells (Eremophila hygrophana ‘Blue Bells’), damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana) or purple trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis) underneath, which will serve double duty by adding bright color and hiding any fallen flowers and fruit.
Woolly butterfly bush Origin: Native from southwestern Texas into the northern areas of Mexico, where it can be found growing along washes and canyons Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zone 8; find your zone) Water requirement: Drought tolerant once established but does best when watered deeply twice a month in summer and once a month in winter Light requirement: Full sun, including areas with reflected sun Mature size: Up to 5 feet tall and wide Benefits and tolerances: Drought tolerant; attracts butterflies Seasonal interest: Flowers spring through summer; evergreen foliage
Botanical name: Eriogonum nudum Common name: Naked buckwheat Origin: Native throughout California and parts of Nevada, Oregon and Washington Natural habitat: Many plant communities Where it will grow: Easily hardy to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, possibly as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 6 to 10; find your zone) Low water, blooms spring through summer Naked buckwheat with red buckwheat (Eriogonum grande var. rubescens)
Wooly butterfly bush; How to use it. With its ability to survive in full sun on minimal water, woolly butterfly bush is a natural addition to water-wise gardens. ◦Plant it alongside desert natives, such as damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana) or desert ruellia (Ruellia peninsularis), where its gray-green foliage will provide beautiful color contrast against their darker green leaves all year long. ◦Use it as a foundation planting against buildings in areas that receive hot, reflected sun or plant it as an informal hedge. ◦Create a layered planting with Texas sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) shrubs in the back, woolly butterfly bush in the center and blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum) in front, making the most of the color contrast of foliage and flowers.
Botanical name: Convolvulus cneorum Common names: Bush morning glory, silver bush Origin: Native to the Mediterranean regions of Western and Southern Europe Where it will grow: Hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zone 8; find your zone) Water requirement: Drought tolerant once established, but does best when watered weekly in summer, twice a month in spring and fall, and monthly in winter; it grows best in well-drained, slightly alkaline soils Light requirement: Full sun is best but can tolerate light shade Mature size: 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide Benefits and tolerances: Drought tolerant; attracts butterflies When to plant: Spring or fall
agave w rocks and plants. Blackfoot daisy, damianita, lantana. softly mounded forms near spikes
Blue Star juniper (J. squamata ‘Blue Star’, zones 4 to 8). Its billowy blue, highly textural foliage reminds me of a cumulus cloud. In the colder months its foliage takes on a red-orange cast, providing winter interest. And like Golden Pacific juniper, this conifer adapts well to partial shade. Since this slow-growing shrub reaches a mature size of 2 feet high and 3 feet wide, it is a perfect candidate for planting at the front of a mixed border. I frequently plant Blue Star juniper alongside dark-leaved dahlias or with shrubs that sport burgundy foliage, such as Little Devil ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Donna May’, zones 3 to 7), Wine & Roses weigela (Weigela florida ‘Alexandra’, zones 4 to 8) or fringe flower (Loropetalum cvs, zones 7 to 9).
My low rock
the Bench! w pot
plants, vase and bunching
A unified house. Outdoor light tan neutrals to match house.
Red lantana, Feather leaf bush, cleveland sage.
For the shaded pot.
Plant spacing - Succulent gardens can play, too. A xeric or desert garden has a different aesthetic than a small front garden border or a larger, meadow-inspired landscape, but you can still use the principles of drifts and masses to mimic and interpret what you’d find in nature. Look at how the plants in this design at The Huntington botanical gardens are at play, with more formal golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii, zone 8) contrasting the spiked Parry agave (Agave parryi var. truncata, zones 4 to 11), and notice how some are evenly spaced and others more haphazardly positioned to reflect how they might appear in the wild.
red thorn of crowns in the foreground
Santa Rita Prickly Pear. Its gray-purple coloring is useful for contrasting plants with darker foliage, such as baja fairy duster, damianita, Valentine bush and turpentine bush (Ericameria laricifolia).
Damianita adds a splash of bright yellow, which contrasts beautifully with the red flowers of firecracker penstemon and Valentine bush and the purple flowers of desert ruellia. This tough ground cover grows best in well-drained soil and in areas that receive full sun.
Yellow Bells combo for front. For a tropical theme made up of drought-tolerant shrubs, plant yellow bells alongside bougainvillea and desert ruellia for a mixture of yellow, magenta and purple jewel-toned flowers.
Desert spoon is quite versatile in the landscape. Its gray-blue color and spiky texture are emphasized when it’s planted alongside the softer shapes of ground covers such as blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum), damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana), lantana (Lantana spp) and verbena (Glandularia spp). Succulents with a more upright growth habit, such as ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), Santa Rita prickly pear (Opuntia santa-rita) and saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), also look great when paired with desert spoon.
Use of decomposed granite.
Santolina (lavender cotton)
Protea garden. Growers in San Diego. PRO Gardens by Gabriel Blossom Valley Protea is a great Protea specific grower in San Diego.
Creeping thyme\
Newberg Green paing from Benjamen Moore for Melain's bedroom, accent wall.
Calamagrostis "Karl Foerster" grass, from Suzanne Morrison of Earthscapes
dry garden
bench under triee w path
babalyon verbena and aloe blue elf blooms with red emu bushes
Palo verde with babalyon verbena and aloe blue elf blooms
Chlean mesquite, red yucca, roses, rosemary, blue agave?
Creeping thyme. Would it make it in El Cajon?
Desert ironwood tree w Damianita flowers. Angelita daisy is another. For white try Black Foot daisy. Simple w color
Breakfast table replacement
Breakfast table replacement
Breakfast table replacement
Sedums and succulants en masse.
Pool pillow color ideas
pool pillow color ideas
Garden pillow ideas
Flagstone patio and firepit.
Flagstone patio
flagstone patio. Is that concrete between? Or rocks?
blue fescue and perennials between steps. Also, small succulants and santa barbara daisies.
Aeonium succulants with strawberry tree. Stones are cut differently to give a pavement effect.
Flagstone rock patio w plants in the cracks. Boulders are the seats.
Modern wall with curves and show casing the boulders.
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