It was a gorgeous day today. I got to spend a few minutes outdoors admiring Nature. I promised myself not to put on my gloves today; just sit back and enjoy the beauties surrounding me. A few of my favorite plants are starting to bloom, including the following:
Stella D’Oro Daylily is not only one of my favorite Daylily, but it’s also a favorite to rabbits around here. It’s a lovely repeat bloomer with buttercup yellow flowers. This is the first of three plants to bloom.
My Snapdragons surprised me this year by coming back to life after being eaten last year (to the last stems) by a rabbit and being stored in the garden shed without a drop of water for months. They are healthy and thriving and make lovely bouquets. They come in a variety of colors, some are intensely colored and others bi-color blends. Snapdragons look lovely when used as front borders and propagate by seeds as they often self-seed. This particular plants are not very drought tolerant; however, the Summer Snapdragons are.
The Red Riding Hood Beardtongue (Penstemon ‘Red Riding Hood’) is the latest addition to my drought tolerant plants. It is a gorgeous plant with an abundance of tube-shaped flowers on long stems. Ever since I planted it, it has attracted a good number of hummingbirds and butterflies.
I enjoy having beautiful color changing plants with unique leaf textures in the garden. Such plants add dimension and color to the landscape as their foliage make them a great accent to the yard as they brighten and light up the grey, dreary days by becoming the focal points in Winter.
1. Pyracantha 2. Heavenly Bamboo 3. Nana Nandina
The first noticeable color in my garden is red and it’s Pyracantha.
We have one in my front yard (which we inherited from the previous owner). It’s evergreen and grows upright with fountain like arching branches. The beautiful White flowers are produced in late Spring through early Summer and attract bees and butterflies. The plant produces red berries in Fall that persist into the Winter. The berries colors vary from bright red to orange and are eaten by birds. The plant is easy to grow, drought resistant, prefers full to partial sun and requires very little water is once the plants are established.
I cut mine back each fall and they always come back stronger and healthier the following year. You must be very cautious around this plant since it is covered in thorns. The berries are edible when cooked. Pyracanthas have their share disease problems, such as fireblight (a contagious and destructive disease affecting members of the family Rosaceae). Click here and here to read about plant care information.
The second colorful plant in my garden which I love is Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina Domestica), a semi-evergreen shrub, a toxic plant, as parts of the plant are poisonous. The plant has fine-texture foliage and produces red berries in the Fall and persists through Winter and at this time, the foliage reddens before turning green. The plant produces white flowers in early Summer above the foliage. The plant prefers full to partial sun, it’s frost hardy, disease-resistant, drought resistant (though it performs best in moist and well-drained soil) and requires minimal care. Plant it in full sun for brighter leaf colors. Click here and here to read about plant care information.
One of my favorite plants for Winter color is Nana Nandina. It is a small evergreen dwarf bush with vivid green foliage that turns brilliant red in Fall and persists into the Winter. Just like the two other plants mentioned above, Nana Nandina prefers full to partial sun, it’s frost hardy, disease-resistant, deer and rabbit resistant, drought resistant and requires minimal care. Planting this shrub in full sun will greatly reduce foliage diseases and will exhibit richer-colors. The plant requires fertilizer twice a year to encourage new growth.
When my husband and I were looking to buy a house, we both agreed on a small backyard (less maintenance). However, we instantly fell in love with a smaller house our realtor showed us. Five years later, living in the High Desert of CA, we have never loved having a huge backyard more and enjoy a quieter lifestyle.
Of course, we have a lot of Weeds growing and we also have to deal with Gophers and Ground Squirrels, which can be quite overwhelming. Thankfully with patience, available tools, techniques and a willing mind – we turned it into a fun, relaxing, beautiful and inviting space.I have a few criteria before I purchase plants. They have to be evergreen or semi-evergreen; adaptable landscape plants and definitely have to withstand heat/dryness and cold-hardiness. Last but not least, appealing to the eyes.
1. Red Autumn Sage – Drought resistant with long period of bloom.
2. Common Broom – Erect shrub with bright yellow flowers in spring and summer.
3. Lindheimer’s Beeblossom – Perennial with white flowers, light pink/pink.
Ornamental Grasses: Add charm to landscapes.
1. Purple Fountain Grass – Reddish leaves and colorful flowers.
2. Elijah Blue Fescue Grass – Remains blue throughout the year.
By JM Perez
