DESIGN MY HIGH DESERT SO. CAL FRONT YARD... And GO!
My home is in the High Desert in Southern Cali. Temperatures can reach triple digits throughout summer months. My front yard is full sun for more than 6 hours a day.
I would like to have some grass, some sort of lighted walkway, and colorful flowers. I have zero artistic ability!
I am open to removing all the shrubs in the yard, but at the very least want to remove the rosemary bushes. I dislike desert landscaping with a passion (i.e. the typical browns and muted greens with cacti that are thorny).
LIKES: Roses, climbing roses, colorful plants, bright green, fountains
DISLIKES: desert landscape, browns, thorny cacti, palm trees, dirt
PLEASE HELP- I don"t know where to start. Any ideas and advice are appreciated!
- hardscaping ideas and placement of lighted walkway / planters
- What plants to get and where to put them
Comments (9)
Dawnelle Astudillo
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Austin Sizes in So Cal/Compact, Front of the Border Austins
Comments (23)Hello all! We got a chance to make it out to Otto and Sons today (just missing the sale unfortunately). We took a look at quite a few roses new to both of us and ended up generally going in a different direction from Austins. The Austin test bed there afforded my mom a chance to see Munstead Wood blooming in person which was very elucidating. She liked it, but didn't love it like the photos of it she had seen. She would probably still like to try it, but not enough to get several. We did get several Rose de Rescht to try however. The scent and color was very nice in person, and the shrubs looked quite nice. We also picked up a Distant Drums which is one of her favorites. I really did know it when I saw it from a distance! There were almost too many interesting things! We nearly got a Rosa Viridiflora, Rosa Rubrifolia/Glauca, Lady of Shallot, and George Burns. The one Austin we did get that most impressed my mother in person was an Ambridge Rose. I know some have reported rust, but neither I nor my mom recall ever seeing it on even the most neglected of roses that we've tried. You have to take some chances in the long run, so this will be one. Queen of Sweeden was a close second for those who had mentioned it. Much more apricot in person than most photos suggested. It may have just been the one left was not the best shrub, but Sharifa Asma didn't catch my mom's eye. It was a nice plus to add a new OGR cultivar to the ranks of the couple of true Teas, one HP, and a few older Polyanthas present (not true OGRs I know). Thanks for all of your input! Jay...See MoreTillys for SoCal Desert Garden?
Comments (5)Hmm, I'm hitching a ride so I'll have to check with the driver. I haven't been to that show yet, and I'm going with a judge so I'm going to clerk and check out both the brom and cactus & succulent show. No clue when we are going to take off though. I'm down in SD, its even a longer ways for me than Gonzer. But gotta see what the people up in LA have to show off! Oh and some other tillies...I love chiapensis. Ixioides and albida I think could do well. Bigger things like jalisco-monticola probably would love it. Ok, I'll stop there before I drag on too long. Ha ha. I'll send you a private message if it looks like I might be able to swing by... -andy...See MoreSoCal Tropical Garden Tour and Plant Sale
Comments (12)Hi Sanda, Yes, we have 2 tours planned for next year - late spring and late summer. I like to give the hosts plenty of time to recover from winter and let whether warm up a bit. The actual homes/locations are still undetermined but there are quite a few we are considering. We still have a couple of fun events planned for this year. Sometime in late September we are planning to have a tropical arrt show at the nursery. Artisans of various mediums will be showing their works of art including scultures, oils on canvass, waterpaintings, etc. We are still open to more artists so feel free to pass the word along. The dates/details for all the events will be sent out to everyone on our mail list (sign up at www.tropicalvibe.com). I will try to post the events and details here but if I get to busy with our landscape design work and nursery operations I might forget. Once the email is sent out please feel free to post the information - "the more the merrier!" torpicalvibe...See MoreNeed help with SoCal Front Yard
Comments (14)For plant suggestions, I'd go over to the California gardening forum as I think you would have suggestions from gardeners who are local to where you are. I would agree that a photo showing the entire area would help us to give you useful design feedback. Without seeing the rest of your yard, I would suggest moving the sagos to a rear corner and clustering them, as they tend to look best planted in groups rather than as individuals. For year-round interest, you'll have to rely on structure, texture and foliage color as opposed to relying on flowers, such as you would get from roses and such. Furcraea variegata is a beautiful statement plant, and if you're in Southern California, consider some of the "prettier" agaves like agave attenuata, agave blue flame, agave desmettiana variegata, agave guiengola or agave ellemeetiana instead of the typical, spiny agave americana. Echeverias do extremely well here. Echeveria cante is very popular right now and will look great year round the closer you are to the coast. If you're inland, they suffer in summertime with direct sun. If you're close to the coast, you may be able to grow alcantarea imperialis or other bromeliads like aechmea blanchettiana. Aloes like aloe vaombe, aloe sabaea, aloe striata and aloe vanbalenni provide structure and interest year round....See More
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years ago
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
emmarene9
4 years agoRN Doktor
3 years agoemmarene9
3 years agoThey are not xeric as they can't survive on only the rain. They are low water though. I never water my Podocarpus since they are well established. I have Podocarpus macrophyllus 'Maki' and Podocarpus gracilior The small Pittosporum tobira Wheelers Dwarf is not low water but the tall one is.
Myrsine africana only needs occasional water once established. It has a tap root so it cannot be transplanted. Make sure you plant it where you want it to live. I never water mine but I have partial shade. I am not sure how they would do in full sun. My Nandina in the shade does not need watered but in the back I grow them in the sun and they do need occasional watering at least in July and August.
I am in the Sacramento area and it does get over 100 here. However, your soil could be different than mine and may hold less moisture. Mine is what the Uni calls silty loam.
A few plants have disappointed me because they are called low water plants but in my area they do need regular watering once it is over 95 or about. Gazania is one. I removed my trailing Lantana because it needed so much water.
I don't know why I forgot to mention Cistus. It is a low water plant and does not care about heat. Some get big but there is a low variety. Russian Sage has same needs as Cistus. The one I have is called Blue Steel.
If you do not object to plants with gray foliage you can find many that need little water or no water once established.
One plant I want to get is Hesperaloe parvaflora. It has a grassy look and flowers as well.
I used to have Cushion Bush. It was truly xeric. It lived only on the rain that fell in winter. In fact, to water it during the dry season would have shortened it's life span. It lasted about fifteen years.
The proper name is Leucophyta brownii.
The best way to learn a plants true water need is find someone who lives near you that grows it.
RN Doktor
3 years agolgteacher
3 years ago
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK