1 of 15
Prev
Tour: Tuscany Garden
Hotlinks:
ADD
Well-Mulched Hillside
Blanket Flower
Century Plant, Maguey
Queen Palm
Golden Barrel Cactus
Spanish Lavender
Tree Aloe
Torch Lily
Blanket Flower

Common name:Blanket Flower
Botanical name:Gaillardia X grandiflora

This perennial has daisylike flowers in warm colors on sturdy stems. Plants form medium-sized clumps. It likes full sun and well-drained soil but tolerates poor soil and drought. It makes a great cut flower.

Century Plant, Maguey

Common name:Century Plant, Maguey
Botanical name:Agave americana

This plant is fast growing to about 6'-10' tall and 8'-13' wide. Wide gray leaves have stiff terminal spines and recurved teeth on margins. It prefers full sun and well-drained situations. After blooming, which could take several years, it will die but will send up new pups from around the base. Some people are allergic to the sap. Removal is difficult if unwanted.

Queen Palm

Common name:Queen Palm
Botanical name:Syagrus romanzoffianum

This palm has a very straight trunk to about 50' in height. It has arching, feathery, bright green, glossy leaves that can be 10'-15' long. It is fragile in heavy winds and a fast grower. It will become damaged in temperature below 24 degrees F.

Golden Barrel Cactus

Common name:Golden Barrel Cactus
Botanical name:Echinocactus grusonii

Golden Barrel Cactus has a globe shaped trunk and vertical ribs lined with thick rows of golden spines. It grows slowly to 3' tall. It looks handsome in containers. It can thrive in full sun but prefers some shade in low desert. This cactus prefers well drained soil and rots with poor drainage.

Spanish Lavender

Common name:Spanish Lavender
Botanical name:Lavandula stoechas

This dense shrub grows 2'-3' tall with blue gray foliage and deep purple flowers that have large showy bracts near the top of the spikes. It is drought tolerant .

Tree Aloe

Common name:Tree Aloe
Botanical name:Aloe arborescens

This shrub is large, full of branches and produces deep orange blooms. The flowers produce a nectar that is attractive to many different birds; this plant is grown all over the world.

Torch Lily

Common name:Torch Lily
Botanical name:Kniphofia hybrids

This perennial will grow to about 6' tall and has large green leaves with red, orange, and yellow flowers that bloom in spring, summer, and fall.

The Magic of Mulch

In the natural world the endless cycle of birth, growth, decay, death and rebirth flows throughout the seasons. Plants die, leaves fall and new growth springs up in its place. Nothing is lost and the fallen leaves and dead plants decay into the soil, enriching it for the next generation of growth.

Click in the green box for more information

Designer: Blooming Gardens

Well-Mulched Hillside

Photographer: GardenSoft

Soils and Compost:

Maintain a two to four inch layer of mulch on the soil surface to reduce weeds, infiltrate rain water, and reduce compaction.

Integrated Pest Management:

Remove irrigation water and fertilizer from areas where you don't want weeds to grow.