After searching on xeriscaping, it didn't look like there was much. I just finished reading (skimming) an ebook called "The Colorful Dry Garden" by Maureen Gilmer. It had some good suggestions, but I think it was mostly oriented to California climates. My zone is a few thousand miles North of her setting, and we get wet winters and frost that complicate matters. Our summers are dry, becoming dryer and longer. I also read "Gardening in Summer Dry Climates by Nora Harlow" and Saxon Holt. It had a better focus on regions near mine, but what I could take home and use was limited. It seemed like a topic centered on dry summer gardening might be useful. These days, there's a lot more need for watering, and water is in less supply. At least my local area has earlier onset of summer, almost no rain during summer, and hotter weather, compared to five or ten years ago. I'm happy to already have some shrubs and trees that don't need watering when mature, tolerate the heat so far, and don't mind some winter freezes - Fig trees Ceanothus (also called "California Lilac", waxy dark green leaves, a nitrogen fixer, blooms like crazy, bees love it, deer don't touch it" Forsythia (deer tend to not bother them). Lilacs (ditto). Some herbs, Rosemary, Lavender, Sage, Thyme. I am expanding on those, plus Russian sage. I've ordered a few to plant this fall. The books recommend fall planting so they become established during wetter weather in winter - Hesperaloe (Texas Yucca), some creeping phlox for ground cover, lambs ear, thyme, agastache, gallardia, some additional sedums, lychnis, kniphofia, some echinacea, and an eryngium. That about fills the available space. I am also looking at a colorful ground-cover Manzanita and a Cistus (Sageleaf Rockrose). These will likely need watering their first year. These areas are getting a good layer of woodchip mulch, except not near the house (fire hazard). Those are my thoughts on xeriscaping today. (some of this is repeat from another gardening thread here)
You have quite an excellent list of plants . It’s hard to imagine we are getting all this rain now, when normally zero rain thruout the summer. This storm is unusual. as far as a xeriscape landscape check out the different colors and sizes of rocks available . Landscaping rock and mixing colors ideas. Just for fun…a quilt of rocks..take ideas and implement them in small spaces. https://www.exoticpebblesandglass.com/landscaping-rocks/ I have found it rains so much here and the deciduous trees make it difficult to maintain any type of rocks in the link to enhance our landscapeing or for a fireproof landscape . It’s a power blower chore to eliminate the leaves in fall. Even the pine trees and evergreen trees lose needles. When blowing off leaves from fall sometimes the rocks lose in that war and off with the leaves they go. Bark is all around the garden ‘nuggets size’ and really keeps the weeds down . In some areas I have put down landscape cloth then colorful gravel in greens , pinks and bluegreen. This area has lasted over the years as well as other sections of the garden treated in the same manner. Most areas with stepping stone walkways and smaller rock filler have endured over the years as well as landscaping with colorful stacking blocks to create a division between different gardens. I also used a lot of flagstone to create additional areas to enlarge and soften concrete patios and to designate small vignettes and ponds . It’s not all fire proof of course neither are any of the garden plants. Also integrated stacking color blocks to build a circular - built up garden 6 blocks tall to designate the entry to the garden. Also designed arch for the entry over the driveway , used fire resistant timber to style the entrance arch. Important task is to keep the pastures mowed low in summers drought to help fireproof the perimeter of the property. We can only do so much to keep our property and families safe and enjoy our gardens too. We all have our own style of gardens and that’s what makes every garden unique and special to share. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” first used in 1878 by Margaret Wolff Hungerford first penned this simple phrase in her book Molly Bawn . Really even today it’s all relevant to each individuals ‘EYE’.
