You require tough plants for tough gardens, and one of the most difficult places to plant is one with rapidly draining sandy soil, full sun and little water. Many plant applicants only melt away under such dire conditions, but the trio explained here will continue to glow however brutal the temperatures.
The secret to success is picking plants that flourish in such conditions, not simply survive. I came across this delightful informal planting in Seattle last summer, where it had been a part of a sand garden. It looked fantastic even after several months without irrigation or rain. The grass had been allowed to set seed along with the daisies scrambled at will, making a beautifully manicured, casual effect. The daring sedum additional strength to the design, both in form and color.
We tend to think about xeriscaping as being dominated by strong architectural forms along with sharp spines, like many cacti and succulents, but this combination shows there is also a softer side to drought-tolerant design.
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Meet the stars. This easy-care design is all about design. A soft ornamental grass offers height and establishes the framework for the combination. The wispy seed heads contribute to its own romantic appeal.
This photograph features Mexican feather grass, but options include pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) or the herbaceous ‘Karley Rose’ fountain grass (Pennisetum orientale ‘Karley Rose’), a fountain grass cultivar that sets seed and is not considered invasive. (Mexican feather grass could be invasive in some regions; consult your local cooperative extension or county extension office prior to planting.)
Such fine texture needs something strong to balance it, and the daring, succulent foliage and blossoms of sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Sedum ‘Herbstfreude’) do this perfectly. This mounding perennial is covered with flat clusters of pink blossoms through the summer, their colour improving the delicate pink tones of the tan grass.
To complete the image, a daisy-studded rug adds just the correct quantity of sparkle. The small white and pink blossoms of the Latin American fleabane daisy (Erigeron karvinskianus ‘Profusion’) bloom steadily all summer long, highlighting the pretty monochromatic color scheme.
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Ways to Have the Best Look
1. Start with the plant.
Mexican Feather Grass (Stipa tenuissima). This grass not only likes warm, dry conditions, it positively revels in them some may say too much (see the previous note about invasiveness). Nevertheless its inclination to self-seed could be a good item in a gravel garden, where opportunistic seedlings could be controlled and increase the informality of the design. Being evergreen, this drought-tolerant grass provides structure to the backyard year-round.
USDA zones: 6 to 10 (find your zone; prevent planting it where it is considered invasive)
Water requirement: Low
moderate requirement: Total sun
Mature dimension: 18 to 36 inches tall and wide
When to plant: Plant in well-drained dirt in spring or autumn.
Girasole Sonoma
2. Add a daring tier.
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Sedum ‘Herbstfreude’). This might be regarded as an old-fashioned perennial, but there is nothing old-fashioned about its appeal. A butterfly necklace with intriguing succulent foliage in a soft shade of green and abundant clusters of pink flowers in late summer, this plant earns its location in almost any hot spot that features well-draining or sandy soil. To keep it compact, cut on the emerging foliage down by half once it reaches 8 inches tall. It will quickly blossom to create a tight dome with an abundance of pink blossoms but will be susceptible to collapse in the middle.
USDA zones: 3 to 10
Water requirement: Low
moderate requirement: Total sun
Mature size: 18 to 24 inches tall and wide
When to plant: Plant in well-drained dirt in spring or autumn.
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3. Finish with a carpet of small daisies.
Latin American Fleabane Daisy (Erigeron karvinskianus ‘Profusion’). Reminiscent of those daisies of several people’s childhoods, this rapidly spreading ground cover is a lot harder than it looks. Let it scramble over boulders, dangle over the edge of containers or make a flowering rug by which taller perennials and grasses can grow. It thrives in partial shade or full sun and is drought tolerant once established. In winter it will die to the ground, but it will quickly reemerge stronger than ever in spring.
USDA zones: 5 to 8
Water requirement: Low
moderate requirement: Total sun
Mature dimension: 6 inches tall and 3 feet wide
When to plant: Plant in well-drained dirt in spring or autumn.
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The best way to use this combination. Site this tough combination close to a seating area or pathway, so the subtle elegance of the design could be appreciated up close. The monochromatic scheme could be further improved by selecting flagstone or gravel with comparable pink and tan colors.
This trio would seem both at home with a seaside cabin, lining a simple picket fence or maybe in a low, wide container set on a patio.
To enlarge the combination, you could insert some tall ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora), collections of pink yarrow (Achillea sp) and the evergreen ground cover sunrose (Helianthemum nummularium). ‘St Mary’s’ is a clean, white number of sunrose, while ‘Dazzler’ is pink.
More: What to do in your garden now