Monday, July 19, 2010

July Xeric Front Garden Boulevard Pictures

This spring I wrote a couple of posts about removing my lawn and replacing it with water-wise plants.  We saw the early spring garden, now it is time to show the same area in the heat of July. I read somewhere that most anyone can have a spring garden but it takes planning and a bit more work to make a summer garden.
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Echinaceas have been self-sowing in the front garden for years. I love the white ones. Take a careful look and you can see a way to identify the color of the flower even before it blooms. Notice the purple echinacea has more purple in it’s stems. The white echinacea is more green.  Polychoma  euphorbia blooms yellow with succulent leaves. Also in the picture is Nodding Pink Onion, allium cernuum.
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From left to right: tanecetum densum ssp. amani Partridge Feather, white yarrow, and dragon blood sedum
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Lavender, more nodding onions. I love the lavender. It does not like to be crowded with organic mulches. I use pea gravel and make sure that it has room to stay dry during the winter. It self-sows. I am starting a row of lavender in the front garden.
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Evening Primrose,(oenother biennis) white yarrow, dragon blood sedum with another similiar sedum that blooms pink.
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This hot loving little gem is  Dakota Vervain, verbena bipinnatfida.  Years ago the birds seeded it and I cultivated it. It flowers early and blooms all summer.
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Here I stepped out onto the street to give you a better view of the boulevard garden. Notice the little bit of lawn. It takes more watering than any of the front garden. Oh, except in the left hand corner I made a vegetable bed. It holds peppers and eggplants. I am running out of room!
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This pretty moth was resting in full sunlight. I showed the picture to Ted and he said: “what will that turn out to be”. I said: “a blog post” – He made a little grrr sound.  Does anyone know what this is?

25 comments:

  1. For water-wise and/or native plant gardening, I agree, the summer garden is the challenge, not the spring one. I have a few meager natives that are toughing out the dry conditions now, but it will take some serious planning this year to bolster our blooms for next summer. Your garden is looking very cheery though, with tons of blooms! I love the verbena growing along your path.

    I think your moth is the white-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata)

    http://bugguide.net/node/view/66632

    Gorgeous moth! How large was it?

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  2. Clare, you are amazing! The moth was large. I'd say about 2" long and maybe an inch at its widest. Quite pretty, I figured it was a moth because its head was different. I will have to look at your bug guide link. Thank You!

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  3. Clare, yes, I just looked at the link and that is what it is. Amazingly the picture on the link is also from the Black Hills of South Dakota

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  4. Gloria I think your garden could feature in a garden magazine as it is so beautiful. I'm amazed that your little bit of lawn still takes more water than the plants. That moth is so pretty - it was UK hummingbird hawk moths that really got me interested in little bugs but even they are not as colourful as this little critter. Have a lovely week in that beautiful garden of yours :) Rosie

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  5. Gloria, your garden looks wonderful! I am a big fan of waterwise gardens and plants. In fact, next year I am going to invest in more of them. They are difficult to find in my area, so I do order from High Country Gardens.

    Eileen

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  6. Rosie, you are too kind! Bugs are amazing. I try very hard not to hurt them and try to let them balance things out. But when I see a squash bug, I squash!

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  7. Eileen - I purchased the partridge feather from High Country Gardens. We also make an occasional trips to Denver which really supports xeric plants. In Illinois do you get lots of rain and humidity? The xerics survive with less water, but this year with the extra rain they were not complaining. Now we are back to dry.

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  8. Hi, Gloria! You definitely planned wisely. Your summer garden is gorgeous and healthy with plenty of variety to please! Well done!!

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  9. I absolutely adore your beautiful garden. You have made heaven on earth with your blossoms... I'm quite sure I can smell them from here.

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  10. I am finding all kinds of self seeded lavender for the first time this year. A welcome surprise.

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  11. Meredehuit - You are too kind. Thank you!

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  12. Deborah, I love the lavender. I am taking some of the self-sown plants and making a bit of a row. A friend just told me you can dry the flowers and add them to sugar to make a lavender scented sugar for tea, etc.

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  13. Nice cottage garden. Even though I am a former turf grass perfectionist (former golf course superintendent, fertilizer salesman, landscaper, and lawn expert), I too am going to replace a large part of my turf grass and going to a cottage garden look. I am currently struggling through this heat wave with new meadow plants and veggies which were planted late in the season. Keep up the nice updates...

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  14. Greggo, wow! I am impressed. On my above linked post on removing my lawn I comment on my beloved vintage electric lawnmower. It gently hums. I imagine you are used to "Tim-the-Toolman" serious lawn equiptment. Thanks for the encouragment. I will have to visit your blog.

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  15. Gloria, I think this summer garden qualifies you for the garden genius category. Beautiful!! -Jean

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  16. my blog needs a little work for sure..but i enjoy doing it and sharing with other gardeners. And yes I have a large conglomeration of "toolman" equipment. lol.

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  17. Gloria - wonderful, healthy gardens in what has become the 'dry heat' of summer (at least here in IL - always the threat of rain, but nothing more than a few drops).

    After 2 years of planning and mapping my gardens, I'm really starting to re-assess what plants I want to add - to be hardy in July & August. I've been reading a lot of articles in local papers (Garden section) about IL natives recently. My Paprika Yarrow, Rudibeckia and Rose Mallow are looking really good right now. I think the next 'purchase' will be Echinacea - likes heat & self-sowing (I've seen a 'Sunset' variety that looks beautiful).

    Great post - thanks for sharing! -Shyrlene

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  18. Jean, wow! thank you. You are too kind.

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  19. Shylene - Smart thinking. Right choices sure save time and money over "trowel and error". I've done my share of error. I have had to work at keeping down the plants that need deadheading in July. I still have a bit of that to improve. I still have a bit too much of May Night Salvia. After deadheading it leaves bare spots. But, it is beautiful early on.

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  20. Gloria, I bet your neighbors sit around the kitchen table and talk about how lovely your garden is! Surely it is an inspiration to everyone on your block. My garden is mostly green now. You are so right. A colorful summer garden is harder to achieve, especially with perennials.

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  21. I wish my Echinaceas self sowed but its barely on the edge of it's hardiness zone in my garden. Love the shots of your summer garden Gloria.

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  22. Hi Deb, I think they enjoy the garden. When I am in front, people often stop and comment.

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  23. Melanie, wow! We are zone 4 and dry. I tend to water when I see the poor echinacea with their heads bent down! But they perk right up with a bit of water. We are zone 4. I will have to check and see what zone you are at.

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  24. Hi,
    I like your blooms, critters, and blog. I see you are in zone 4. I am in Nebraska, zone 5.

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