Common name:Bush Muhly
Botanical name:Muhlenbergia porteri
Bush muhly is a perennial grass with airy pink-purple seed heads that resemble cob webs in late summer to fall. It is drought tolerant but will need water every 3- 4 weeks once it's established, especially during the summer. This grass is not particular about soil type but prefers good drainage. It grows to a mature size of about 3' tall and 2' wide. This grass looks like a tangled group of leaves and stems, perfect for an organic look, wild garden.
Common name:Sugar Bush
Botanical name:Rhus ovata
This dense, rounded evergreen shrub grows 8'-15' tall and wide, with creamy flowers between March and May. The shrub bears small red fruit. It grows well in inland areas and is drought tolerant. The foliage is leathery and rich looking and dark green in color. It needs additional water in low desert areas every 2 weeks or plant in area with afternoon shade. It needs a well drained site. It is susceptible to verticillium wilt in wet areas.
Designer: Sallie Homan | El Paso Compound Garden 15 |
Photographer: GardenSoft |
Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.
Different areas of your landscape have different water requirements.
Shrubs need much less water than lawns and drip systems should never be scheduled on the same program with lawns.
Establish separate watering schedules for those areas.
Remove irrigation water and fertilizer from areas where you don't want weeds to grow.