Texas Home Landscaping including Oklahoma, 4th Edition

Site Plan Plants and structures on a scaled grid. Summary Addressing the same situation as the first design, this variation may differ in design concept, site conditions, or plant selection. Rendering Shows how the design will look when plants are well established. Plants & Projects Noteworthy qualities of the plants and structures and their contributions to the design. Site Plan Positions all plants and structures on a scaled grid. Concept Box Summarizes an important aspect of the design; tells whether the site is sunny or shady and what season is depicted in the rendering. Summary An overview of the situation and the design. 9 ABOUT THIS BOOK Rendering Depicts the design when plants are well established. Russian sage D Fall aster F Fence K Desert willow A Gray santolina J Red yucca H Trailing rosemary I Soft-tip yucca B Gaura G Indian grass C Trailing rosemary I Autumn sage E SITE: Sunny SEASON: Summer CONCEPT: Use the fence as a back- drop for this gorgeous border. 1 square = 1 ft. Lawn I K J I H G F E D C B A 79 A BEGINNING BORDER 78 PORTFOLIO OF DESIGNS A mixed border can be one of the most delightful of all gardens. Indeed, that's usually its sole purpose. Unlike many other types of landscape plant- ings, a traditional border is seldom yoked to any function beyond that of providing as much visual pleasure as possible. This border is designed for a beginning or busy gardener. In parts of Texas, watering is one of the most formidable garden tasks. To reduce the time and cost associated with this chore, we've selected low-water-use plants for this border. Durable and carefree, they'll maximize the time you spend enjoying the garden. Behind the planting, a simple fence screens out distractions and provides a unifying frame for the display. The border is meant to be viewed from the front, so taller plants go in back. A small flowering tree in the center serves as a colorful focal point. The planting offers a selection of flowers in blues, reds, pinks, yel- lows, and creamy whites. Blooming over many months, there are flowers borne in spiky clusters as well as large feathery plumes, pendent bells, and bright cheerful "daisies." The garden's foliage is at least as compelling as its flowers. A range of textures and colors contrast with and complement one another. At the back of the planting, the striking spiky yucca contrasts with the bushy green mounds of autumn sage and fall aster. These plants in turn are framed by airy masses of silvery green and blue foliage. Similar juxtapositions of color and texture are repeated on a smaller scale at the front of the planting. If you want a larger border, just plant more of each plant to fit the space, or repeat parts of the design. A Beginning Border FLOWERS AND A FENCE MAKE A CAREFREE DESIGN Plants & Projects Once established, this planting will require almost no supplemental water and little other care. The only maintenance will be removing spent flowers during the summer and annual pruning of the desert willow, fall aster, and santolina. A Desert willow (use 1 plant) The fine leaves of this decidu- ous tree provide an airy canopy over the path without shading out the plants underneath. Showy white, pink, and laven- der flowers bloom on and off all season. See Chilopsis linearis , p. 129. B Soft-tip yucca (use 2) This evergreen shrub forms a mound of attractive blue-gray swordlike foliage terminating in soft, rather than stiff, tips. In summer and fall, it sends up very tall stalks of nodding, lilylike white flowers. See Yucca gloriosa , p. 153. C Indian grass (use 1) A perennial grass with upright blue-green foliage that turns orange and yellow in fall and hints of those colors through winter. See Sorghastrum nutans , p. 149. D Russian sage (use 3) This bushy perennial's small silvery leaves and slender blue flower stalks are a nice contrast to the surrounding greens. See Perovskia atriplicifolia , p. 141. E Autumn sage (use 4) These perennials form rounded mounds of bright foliage and flowers. Choose red or coral blooms for best effect. Ever- green in most of the state. See Salvia greggii , p. 147. F Fall aster (use 1) Another round shape for an otherwise spiky garden, this native perennial sports a dense growth of pale-gray foliage on wiry stems. Lavender-purple flowers in fall echo the color of the desert willow and Russian sage blooms. Looks best when trimmed a couple of times during the growing season. See Aster oblongifolius , p. 124. G Gaura (use 1) A tough heat-tolerant Texas native, it produces surprisingly delicate masses of pink and white flowers above slender swaying stems. See Gaura lind- heimeri , p. 132. H Red yucca (use 3) This mini yucca has slender gray-green leaves adorned with many stalks of small, coral-pink trumpet-shaped flowers. See Hesperaloe parviflora , p. 134. I Trailing rosemary (use 2) An evergreen shrub forming a low clump of sinuous branches lined with tiny pinelike leaves. Blooms mostly in early spring but the small blue flowers may appear sporadically throughout the year. See Rosmarinus offici- nalis 'Prostratus', p. 146. J Gray santolina (use 3) This compact shrub reinforces the silver-gray theme. Small, fragrant, toothed leaves grow in low mounds. In summer they sport bright-yellow button flowers. Cut back to about 6 in. in early spring to maintain a nice round shape. See Santolina chamaecyparissus , p. 148. K Fence A tall fence provides a back- drop for the border and privacy for you. See p. 194. 'Homestead Purple' verbena J 'Indigo Spires' salvia C Compact Texas sage B 'Bath's Pink' dianthus K Texas star hibiscus H Fence M 'Confetti' lantana d Cherry laurel a 'Indigo Spires' salvia c 'Bath's Pink' dianthus k 'Powis Castle' artemisia E Bearded iris G 'Homestead Purple' verbena J Stepping-stones l 'John Fanick' garden phlox F 'John Fanick' garden phlox F 'Country Girl' daisy mum i 80 PORTFOLIO OF DESIGNS round shape. See Artemisia x 'Powis Castle', p. 124. F 'John Fanick' garden phlox (use 5) A floriferous perennial, it pro- duces long-lasting clusters...