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Lamb's Ear and Friends
Lamb's Ears Silver Carpet
Red-Hot Poker, Torch Lily
Homestead Purple Verbena
Century Plant
Bearded Iris
Hamelin White Plume Fountain Grass
Lamb's Ears Silver Carpet

Common name:Lamb's Ears Silver Carpet
Botanical name:Stachys byzantina 'Silver Carpet'

This variety of Lamb's Ears does not produce significant flowers. It is grown for the beautiful and soft silver grey foliage.

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.

Homestead Purple Verbena

Common name:Homestead Purple Verbena
Botanical name:Verbena 'Homestead Purple'

This perennial will reach 1'-2' tall and has small green leaves with purple flowers that bloom during warm weather. It is frost tender but will come back when the ground warms up. Feed with an all-purpose fertilizer once a month during the growing season. Verbena works as a great groundcover. Pinch ends to promote dense growth.

Century Plant

Common name:Century Plant
Botanical name:Agave americana

This agave 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. It is prone to agave snout weevil which will eat the roots and leaves. 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. Water once a month during the summer.

Bearded Iris

Common name:Bearded Iris
Botanical name:Iris Bearded Hybrids

This perennial will grow 1'-3' tall and has medium sized, blue green leaves with flowers of different colors that bloom in spring. It needs well draining soil and full sun. Many are fragrant and rebloom in the fall. Plant rhizomes in Sept or Oct. They need water once a week during the hot spells. Top dress with compost and gypsum in January and August.

Hamelin White Plume Fountain Grass

Common name:Hamelin White Plume Fountain Grass
Botanical name:Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hamelin'

This beautiful dwarf grass reaches 2'-3' tall and 1'-2' wide. Bright green foliage is grass-like. Creamy white fluffy plume flowers appear in thin arching stalks in summer and fall. Foliage turns gold in fall. This grass prefers full sun and low to moderate watering.

Designer: Mark Lewis

Lamb's Ear and Friends

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:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

Integrated Pest Management:

Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.