Common name:Matilija Poppy
Botanical name:Romneya coulteri
Crowned by white poppies, this high-impact, spreading, gray green perennial stands statuesque at 5"-8" tall. It is best used where its scale and habit will not overpower, and it requires no summer water and thrives on dry alluvial slopes..
Common name:Aromas Sage
Botanical name:Salvia 'Aromas'
The Aromas Sage is a selection that stays more compact than the Cleveland Sage and grows to about 3'-5' high and wide. It has distinctively fragrant, gray green foliage and whorls of violet blue flowers in spring and summer. It can withstand strong winds and is deer resistant. It prefers full sun and well draining soil.
Common name:Mexican Feather Grass
Botanical name:Nassella tenuissima
This ornamental grass grows to 2' tall. It goes partially dormant during the summer but green in spring and fall. It prefers a sunny, well drained site. This plant can be invasive in some areas, so use caution. To keep reseeding to a minimum, drip irrigation will be best. Cut back in early spring to remove dormant foliage and dried seed heads. It can also tolerate dry shade. It grows to 10" wide and is the finest textured of the ornamental grasses.
Common name:Howard McMinn Manzanita
Botanical name:Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Howard McMinn
This shrub is highly appreciated for its decorative characteristics, which include a dense show of small, pale pink urn-shaped flowers. Above all, it is the mahogany-red to brown bark (which peels beautifully) that is the major attraction. Its fruit resembles the tike apple, and the flowers contrast perfectly to the light green leaf (which can get rather tough). It blooms from late winter to spring. - Cornflower Farms
Common name:Winnifred Gilman Dark Blue Sage
Botanical name:Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman'
The ' Winifred Gillman' Sage is a dense, compact sub-shrub that grows to 4'-5' tall and wide, and has a round form. It has blue flowers in spikes above the foliage in the spring and summer. This sub-shrub is native to California and is drought tolerant. -Cornflower Farms
Designer: Gwen Romani | Hillside Splendor |
Photographer: GardenSoft |
Maintain a two to four inch layer of mulch on the soil surface to reduce weeds, infiltrate rain water, and reduce compaction.
Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.
Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.