Plants of the Week for April 30th

Lavender Twist Redbud is a small weeping tree that can handle full sun to part shade.  These trees flower pink in April along their branches.  They grow to about 8 feet tall and wide, but can be kept smaller with trimming.  After they flower green, heart shaped leaves emerge to cover the tree.  Lavender Twist Redbud works well where Japanese Maples don’t like to grow as a focal point surrounded by perennials and small shrubs.

Purple Fountain Grass is great for height in flower pots as well as in the garden.  Though it doesn’t last through our winters; the show is worth it to replant every year.  They rapidly grow to about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide.  Purple Fountain Grass prefers full sun and plays well with millionbells, petunias, allysums or bidens for flower pots.

Plants that Like Alkaline Soils

Our soils are alkaline (pH above 7) because of the areas low annual rainfall and the lack of organic matter. Alkaline soil can be problematic to some plants because if the soil pH is too high it makes it hard for some plants to take up vital nutrients. By selecting plants that enjoy these soil conditions it a lot less work to keep them happy. A good looking landscape with minimal effort, is much easier to maintain.

Below is a list of plant families that thrive in alkaline soil with little to no pH adjustments. From here you can find a variety that fits your yards needs and personal taste.

Ornamental Grasses
Maiden grasses
Switch grasses
Feather Reed grasses
Fescue Grasses
Fountain Grasses
Fountain Grasses

Shrubs
Sumacs
Junipers
Hydrangeas (though big leaf varieties are pink in alkaline soils)
Spirea
Barberry
Bluebeard
Forsythia
Lilacs
Butterfly Bush (sterile varieties)
Potentilla
Pines
Juniper
Spruces
Photinia
Ninebarks
Common Snowball Bush
Cistena Plum
Mockorange
Viburnums (Deciduous)
Smokebush
Cotoneaster

Perennials
Lavender
Daylily
Sedum
Candytuft
Daisy
Sages
Hosta
Astilbe
Helebores
Red Hot Poker
Catmint
Russian Sage
Black Eyed Susans
Blanket Flowers
Mums
Asters
Yucca
Yarrow

Trees
Bald Cypress
Serviceberry
Golden Rain Tree
Honeylocust
Pines
Bur Oak
Redpointe Maple
Hedge Maples
Persian Parrotia
Sycamore
Willows
Maackia
Green Ash (Urbanite is resistant to Ash Bore)
Catalpa

When to prune grasses back and how to do it?

A common question we get is when to prune your grasses for winter. In reality it can be as soon as that plant dies back to the ground. I personally use the grass’ foliage as a winter interest, so I will wait until the winter winds beat then up into a mess. Then I tie a string around the top and cut back to within an inch or two of the ground. For evergreen grasses, I just clean out the dead foliage. With Pampass grass, I wait until spring, using it’s foliage as a mulch to help it survive winter since it’s more tender than other grasses like Switch grass, Japanese Silver grass or Fountain grasses in our area. Below is a video I did to demonstrate how to cut back the different types of grasses.

What can be planted in fall?

Fall is upon us and it’s time for planting. Here is what you can plant now and into winter as well as a few tips to make sure things go well.

You can plant plants rated zone 6 or lower for they can withstand our winters. You can plant trees, shrubs, perennials, roses and evergreens.

Even though the irrigation systems are going offline. Plants aren’t using much water. Until deciduous plants drop their foliage check on them for moisture weekly. After they drop their foliage check monthly to see if they need a drink. Evergreens need water on a monthly basis. Water on days where the highs are above 35 degrees.

For roses you want to mulch their crowns as a precaution against sudden cold snaps.

You can plant in fall and into winter you want to avoid cold snaps where on daytime temps don’t rise above freezing. It’s hard on you and the plants when the ground is frozen.

Plants of the Week for October 5th

Gro-Low Sumac is a tough plant that likes sunny dry spots; that doesn’t colonize like it’s cousin the Staghorn Sumac. It grows to about 2 to 3 feet tall and spreads to about 6 to 8 feet wide. In the growing season it’s a nice medium glossy green but in the fall it’s a brilliant red/orange. It enjoys our alkaline soil and climate. It is also a great candidate for
Fire-wise landscaping.

Hameln Dwarf Fountain Grass also can handle tough spots in the yard that are sunny and hot. It reaches about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide with a dark green foliage that turns to a russet yellow color as fall sets in. The bottle brush like florescence appear in late summer and lasts into winter. Easy to care for with a trim to the ground in late winter. It looks great when mixed with other perennials or larger growing shrubs.

Plants for the Week of September 7th

Blue Mist Bluebeard is a plant that likes to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds with it's late summer blooms.  It reaches 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. The blue green foliage contrasts well against mugo pines, dark green junipers and red barberry and is just as tough for hot dry spots. It can also goes well with other perennials for a pollinator garden.  They prefer 6 or more hours of direct sunlight and well drained soils.

Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass is a versatile plant for areas that get at least 6 hours of sun.  It is a semi-evergreen so it stays greener than other grasses longer.    Karl also is sterile so it doesn't reseed itself or spreads via rhizomes.  Generally they spread 3 feet wide and are that tall. The tan florescence are striking in the summer and into fall. A true winner of a plant.

Plants of the Week for August 31st

Rosie the Riveter Rose is a uniquely shaped rose that pays tribute to woman who worked in manufacturing and shipyards during World War II.  We have been very pleased with it's color, amount of blooming and disease resistance throughout the summer.  The gold blend contrasts well against the dark green foliage. It's a floribunda, so it blooms in clusters and is free flowering leaving it to be pretty easy to care for. Like other roses it prefers at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.

Little Miss Miscanthus Grass is a dwarf Miscanthus with very showy florescence and turns red in late summer early fall.  It grows to about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Little Miss prefers at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. A fun little show stopper for perennial beds or desert landscapes on drip. 

Plants of the Week of August 24th

Cheyenne Skies Switch Grass is a heat loving grass that starts out green and turns red as the summer wains into fall.  It reaches 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, staying in nice clumps. It's also easy to care just water and fertilizer.  Can be used in low water use gardens.  It prefers at least 6 hours of sunlight.

Frida Kahlo Rose is a floribunda (flowers in clusters) with red blush and gold stripes honoring the famous Frida Kahlo of Mexico who once said, "I paint flowers so they will not die.".  It's a heavy bloomer and has had very disease issues at the nursery. The swirl pattern is delightful.  Like other roses they prefer at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.  This grows to about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide.