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Flagstone Entrance
Lamb's Ear
Catmint
Red-Hot Poker, Torch Lily
Variegated Century Plant
Catmint
Blue Star Creeper
Lamb's Ear

Common name:Lamb's Ear
Botanical name:Stachys byzantina

This tiny shrub will grow less than 1' tall and has medium-size, greyish-green leaves with blue and lavender flowers that bloom in the spring. This shrub is grown more for its velvety leaves than the flowers. It is drought tolerant once it's established. Be careful not to overwater.

Catmint

Common name:Catmint
Botanical name:Nepeta X faassenii

Nepeta faassenii makes soft, grey-green, undulating mounds to 1' tall in bloom, spreading 3'-4' wide. The small leaves are attractive to cats. This perennial has lavender blue flowers in summer. Catmint can be planted in sun or shade and needs medium amount of water. Prune spent flowers to encourage more blooms.

Red-Hot Poker, Torch Lily

Common name:Red-Hot Poker, Torch Lily
Botanical name:Kniphofia hybrids

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

Variegated Century Plant

Common name:Variegated Century Plant
Botanical name:Agave americana 'Variegata'

'Variegata' has gray green leaves with a creamy yellow margin with serrated edges. This agave will grow 6-10' tall and up to 13' wide. It has a very open growth habit, with leaves that curve along their length. Tip of the leaves have a poisonous sharp spine. After 10 years or more, this Agave may send up yellow blooms, 20' tall, attracting bees and birds. Plant dies after flowering but pups may be removed to start plants.

Catmint

Common name:Catmint
Botanical name:Nepeta X faassenii

Nepeta faassenii makes soft, grey-green, undulating mounds to 1' tall in bloom, spreading 3'-4' wide. The small leaves are attractive to cats. This perennial has lavender blue flowers in summer. Catmint can be planted in sun or shade and needs medium amount of water. Prune spent flowers to encourage more blooms.

Blue Star Creeper

Common name:Blue Star Creeper
Botanical name:Pratia pedunculata

Pratia pedunculata has bright green, nearly stemless, 1/4" leaves. In late spring and summer, tiny, star-shaped pale blue flowers appear on the tightly woven green "mat" of foliage. It prefers rich, well draining soil in full to part shade.

Designer: Mark Lewis

Flagstone Entrance

Photographer: GardenSoft

Soils and Compost:

Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.

Water Saving Tip:

Check your irrigation controller once a month, and adjust as necessary.

Most plants require only one-third as much water in winter as they do in summer.

Integrated Pest Management:

Drip and other smart irrigation delivers water directly to roots, allowing no excess water for weeds.