Common name:Oriental Fountain Grass
Botanical name:Pennisetum orientale
Oriental Fountain Grass is a clumping, warm-season grass with spectacular pinkish white flowers in summer and sometimes fall. Flower plumes change to light brown. Foliage is a bright green that changes to straw color as winter approaches. This grass is 1'-2.5' tall and wide. It usually does not reseed. This grass is striking if backlit to show off flower plumes.
Common name:Waxleaf Privet
Botanical name:Ligustrum japonicum 'Texanum'
This dense, evergreen shrub reaches 6'-8' tall and 4'-6' wide. Waxleaf Privet has dark green, leathery, evergreen leaves that make a great privacy hedge. White fragrant flowers bloom in spring and summer. Bees love these flowers! Blue black berries follow bloom season. Part of this shrub may be poisonous if ingested. It prefers full sun to light shade with a medium amount of watering, more in hot summer months.
Common name:Crape Myrtle
Botanical name:Lagerstroemia indica
The new leaves of this species are 2" long, bright green, and tinged with bronze. Some cultivars have spectacular fall color. When it has a bare outline, its rounded seed capsules add interest. Its delicate flowers bloom in 6"-12" long clusters. The flower colors could be shades of red, rose, pink, purple, and white, blooming in summer. It thrives on heat, and new cultivars have been created that resist mildew. This tree prefers full sun and has low watering needs once it's established.
Designer: Amy Bartell | Perennial Wall of Wonder |
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.
Apply a layer of mulch around plants to reduce moisture loss.
Choose organic mulches, such as shredded bark, compost or aged sawdust.
Remove irrigation water and fertilizer from areas where you don't want weeds to grow.