Common name:Lavender Cotton
Botanical name:Santolina chamaecyparissus
This evergreen groundcover-small shrub will grow to 3' x 2'. It has small, silvery-gray aromatic leaves. Yellow button-like flowers bloom in the summer. Occasional pruning will help it to maintain shape.
Common name:Banana Yucca
Botanical name:Yucca baccata
Evergreen clumping yucca grows at a moderate rate to 3' x 5'. Leaves are blue-green and have sharp tips. White clusters of flowers appear on tall stalks spring to summer. Accepts full sun. Striking show of flowers. Effective security plant. Very frost tolerant. Native to the southwest U.S. and Mexico.
Common name:Creosote Bush
Botanical name:Larrea tridentata
Open, angular evergreen shrub grows to 6'x 6'. Dark green, foliage is fragrant after a rain. One of the most abundant plants in the southwest desert. Extremely drought tolerant. Good informal screen. Native to North American deserts.
Designer:
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.
Apply a 2" layer of mulch around plants to reduce moisture loss.
Choose organic mulches, such as shredded bark, compost, or aged sawdust.
Inorganic mulches such as gravel are also acceptable.
Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.
