Common name:Yarrow Moonshine
Botanical name:Achillea 'Moonshine'
Pale yellow flowers appear to float on long, slender stems. Leaves are green to gray-green leaves, which are flatter and less divided than those of the Achillea millefolium. Yarrows propagate easily from rooted cuttings or division, which should be performed in the early spring or fall. Following bloom, one should dead head the plant and divide the clumps when it appears crowded.
Common name:Blue Beach Aster, Seaside Daisy
Botanical name:Erigeron glaucus
This perennial will grow 1' tall and 1.5' wide. It has blue green foliage and lavender flowers that bloom in spring and summer.
Common name:Louis Edmunds Manzanita
Botanical name:Arctostaphylos bakeri 'Louis Edmunds'
This is an upright shrub that grows 6'-8' tall. It is tall with green foliage and pink flowers during the winter and spring.
Common name:Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany
Botanical name:Cercocarpus ledifolius
This small tree or evergreen shrub grows slowly, up to 10'-20' tall. It is a drought tolerant plant. Leaves are small and cluster together. The flowers are inconspicuous but the fruit has characteristic long feathery plumes, up to 2" long. This plant needs full sun; it provides food and shelter for animals.
Common name:Deer Grass
Botanical name:Muhlenbergia rigens
The Deer Grass is a warm season perennial that forms dense clumps from the base. The spike-like flower stalks grow 2'-3' tall and this grass has striking foundation form. The Deer Grass is native to California, is drought tolerant, and is a beneficial insect plant.
Common name:Wisteria
Botanical name:Wisteria sinensis
While the sinensis is similar to the floribunda, it bears more rounded, full clusters of strongly fragrant flowers which open more or less, all at once. There are usually 13-15 leaflets per leaf, and they require full sun and average to little watering. It comes in many colors in the blues, whites and purples.
Common name:Silver Cloud Silverleaf
Botanical name:Leucophyllum candidum 'Silver Cloud'
Leucophyllum candidum 'Silver Cloud' is an evergreen shrub. It grows to 5' high and wide, with small white leaves and deep, purple flowers. You will see more blooms after rainfall. This shrub has an irregular shape but looks good in mass plantings if you want contrasting foliage and blooms. It is susceptible to Texas root rot so plant in well drained soil.
Common name:Italian Cypress
Botanical name:Cupressus sempervirens 'Stricta'
Italian Cypress is often associated with Italian and Spanish architecture, providing columns in the landscape. They often reach 60' tall. 'Stricta' is compact, columnar and produces long, straight branches with deep green foliage.
Designer: Carol Bornstein
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.
Remove irrigation water and fertilizer from areas where you don't want weeds to grow.