Monday, April 26, 2010

Water-Wise Flowers

My front garden sits in full sun. Although we are zone 4, we get quite hot and dry in the summer. About 17” of moisture is what we can expect. Imagine, this week in 2 days we had about 2” of rain. The countryside  is turning a lovely shade of emerald green. The plants along our street boulevard and sidewalk are truly water-wise. Many plants in this category are gray or fuzzy.  In grey green or fuzzy plants the texture acts like insulation for the plant helping them survive with less water.



This is from the front boulevard garden. The plant in front is Tanecetum Densum ssp. amani Partridge Feather.  I’m often asked the name of this plant. It keeps it’s looks all winter.  I got a start of this plant years ago from High Country Gardens. I since have divided it many times and use it along the front gardens.  Notice the closed little species tulip. They look like little eggs on a stem.



Also note the short little rhizome Iris – I need to check on it’s name. Starts were here 18 years ago when we bought our house.  The Tanecetum does not do well in hot humid weather.   Deer walk right by this combination.






The blue woolly speedwell fills the front bed. I have been experimenting to see which low growing water-wise plants do best at keeping weeds out and surviving with less water. Amazingly sedum does not do as good a job at keeping lush and thick.  The yellow-green ground cover is not a sedum. It gives a bright yellow flower that looks like a euphorbia flower. It has shiny leaves and gets no higher than you see in the picture.  Maybe someone knows the name?  The plants are mulched with pea gravel.  The gravel helps cover the soil and retain a bit of moisture.  My goal has been to fill the front with colorful groundcovers. I also will have taller perennials among the mix.  But not so many that in mid July when it is time to do dead-heading  the cuttings fill the back of a pick-up.  That was the past!  The front is water-wise. And, hopefully I am getting garden-wiser. Is that an adjective? Noun? Real word or concept?

18 comments:

  1. Hi Gloria - so glad that you are getting some rain. Not that the word water wise is used that often over here with plants I still use the same principles as you in my scree beds as some of them face West and South. I keep a good mulch of pea gravel down in that area to keep the water in and hopefully keep most of the weeds out. Not sure at all what the yellow green ground cover is. :) Rosie

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  2. I'd like to think I'm becoming garden-wiser too, an adjective I think. We're fortunate here with our more Mediterranean climate that a lot of water-wise plants do very well here, and as a general rule it does seem the silvery-gray plants are more deer resistant too.

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  3. One of things I enjoy most about your garden is that you select plants that match the environment instead of using plants that need coddling. I would definitely say that makes you "garden-wiser" ;-)

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  4. I got your note. Could you post a close up with your dark blue/purple iris to help you identify it? It's easier that way because there are so many that look similar. Thanks.

    Andi

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  5. Wow, you are quite a bit further along than we are. We get about the same amount of precip (16") per year and are around the same zone, so what's your secret?

    Christine in Alaska

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  6. Well, we get buckets of water every year, somewhere between 50 and 60 inches, But we sometimes have drought, often in the hottest part of the summer. It's challenging to find plants that do well under both conditions! Natives do best.

    I love your ground covers in the front!

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  7. Curbstone, Yes, you are right, deer do not like the fuzzy grey waterwise plants. Good Thing!

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  8. Rosie, Thanks for the comment - love your Hellebore!

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  9. Noelle, Thank you - I am sure in Arizona that you must use waterwise plants. I learned from experience that to grow a plant that doesn't belong in it's site is to invite growing a wimpy plant.

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  10. Andi, it is so nice to find someone that grows Iris like you do. I will try to get that close up. In my email I said they grow about 10", but I went out and saw some blooming at about 4". Thank you! We are zone 4 and dry.

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  11. Christine, I would imagine your area is colder than we are. We are zone 4, but some of my garden is protected so I think maybe zone 4b or maybe some 5....Plus we get lots of sun. But, it is raining again. Wow!

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  12. Deb, I can't imagine 50 to 60" of rain! But, that explains the Zephrine D rose you have. I have that rose and it grows maybe 2 to 3ft tall. Your's is a true climber. I try to mulch alot. Our soil has alot of clay, so it tends to keep moisture. When it dries it is hard like a rock. Mulch is the answer isn't it.

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  13. Gloria, Better a "water-WISER" than a water-wizzer. :) The Tanacetum is a new one on me. I'm going to be on the lookout for it.

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  14. Grace - too funny!

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  15. Water-wise is my mantra, too. I fear we're heading into quite the drought season given our lack of snow this winter. Have you tried the water-wise roses from High Country? They're terrific!

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  16. Kate, I do love High Country Gardens. I haven't ordered anything in a long while. Waterwise roses what a great idea. I've moved most of my roses to the back and try to use lots of mulch with them. I think because we have so much clay, I get away with less water.

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  17. hi Gloria, your plants look so healthy, they dont seem to need anything more!

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  18. Too funny "the lawn shakes with fear when you walk by". I think mine is feeling a little uncomfortable these days. Love your tulips, btw. Happy weekend!

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