Yard
Botanical name: Eriogonum cinereum Common names: Ashyleaf buckwheat, coastal buckwheat Origin: Native to California coastal areas from Los Angeles County to Santa Barbara County, and Santa Rosa Island Where it will grow: May tolerate temperatures down to 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 3.9 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 9 and higher; find your zone) Typical plant communities: Coastal scrub Water requirement: Regular water during first year to establish, then drought-tolerant with minimal supplemental water required Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 2 to 4 feet tall and wide Benefits and tolerances: Tolerates a variety of soil types; supports numerous pollinators; looks lush with minimal water after first year Seasonal interest: Blooms late fall into early summer When to plant: Cool season (late October to February) in Southern California and areas of similar climate, to utilize winter rains and cooler temperatures during plant’s establishment period
Botanical name: Tagetes lemmonii Common names: Lemmon’s marigold, Mt. Lemmon marigold, copper canyon daisy, mountain marigold Origin: Native to Arizona and Mexico Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 degrees Celsius (USDA Zone 8; find your zone) Water requirement: Low once established Light requirement: Full sun; must have filtered shade in low-desert zones Mature size: 4 to 6 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide Benefits and tolerances: Drought-tolerant; deer-resistant Seasonal interest: Aromatic foliage, dark yellow flowers in spring and fall with sporadic blooms in summer When to plant: Spring or fall
‘Blonde Ambition’ Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’) The faintest breeze will cause the horizontal seed heads of ‘Blonde Ambition’ to quiver on the ends of stiff 3-foot-tall stems. This warm-season grass is a good choice for low-maintenance gardens, as it requires little care, is drought-tolerant once established and hangs on to its seed heads well into winter, providing many months of garden interest. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9) Water requirement: Moderate; low once established Light requirement: Full sun to part shade
Gravel + pavers
native (california) buckwheat. Natural companions: Catalina hummingbird fuchsia (Epilobium canum ‘Catalina’, shown here), monkeyflower (Mimulus and Diplacus spp) or sagebrush (Artemisia spp).
Love the look of the grass: "A native mow free blend purchased through S&S seeds. The blend consists of: Western Mokelumne fescue- Festuca occidentalis; Idaho fescue- Festuca idahoensis; Molate fescue- Festuca rubra."
Nothing fancy but sufficient
I like how this natural play space feels enclosed by small trees
Chalkboard/chalkboard paint for back fence?
Mexican honeysuckle (orange flowers) Botanical name: Justicia spicigera Common names: Mexican honeysuckle, mohintli, fireracker plant, desert honeysuckle Origin: Native to Mexico and Central and South America Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 9 degrees Celsius (USDA zone 8; find your zone) Light requirement: Filtered shade is best, but can grow in full sun Water requirement: Moderately drought-tolerant once established, but looks best when watered every week in spring through fall; water twice a month in winter Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide Benefits and tolerances: Moderately drought tolerant; attracts hummingbirds Seasonal interest: Flowers throughout the year in zones 9 and above; in Zone 8, flowers appear in spring through fall When to plant: Fall or spring
Build an arbor around the garage
california wild grape
Botanical name: Eriogonum fasciculatum Common name: California buckwheat Origin: From Alameda County, California, south to northwestern Baja California and east to southwestern Utah and Arizona on dry slopes and in washes and canyons Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 5b to 10; find your zone) Typical plant communities: Coastal sage scrub; chaparral; deserts below 8,000 feet Water requirement: Little to moderate Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade Soil requirement: Adaptable; prefers well drained Mature size: 2 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide; it can create a large colony from its bountiful seeds
Botanical name: Gaura lindheimeri (syn. Oenothera lindheimeri) Common names: Gaura, whirling butterflies, Lindheimer’s beeblossom, Indian feather, Lindheimer’s clockweed Origin: Native to southeastern Texas and northern Mexico Where it will grow: Hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zone 5; find your zone) Water requirement: Drought tolerant once established; water every two weeks in spring through fall in the absence of rain (weekly irrigation in spring through fall is needed in low- and high-desert gardens) Light requirement: Full sun (provide afternoon shade in desert climates) Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide Benefits and tolerances: Drought tolerant; deer resistant; attracts beneficial insects, including bees Seasonal interest: White or pink flowers appear (depending on the cultivar) in spring through fall; will stop flowering during summer in desert climates and continue again in fall. When to plant: In spring or fall from transplants
Botanical name: Ceanothus thyrsiflorus Common names: Blueblossom, wild lilac Origin: Coastal and intermountain North America, from Oregon to California Where it will grow: Hardy to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 7 to 9; find your zone) Water requirement: Ceanothus thyrsiflorus thrives in a dry-summer and wet-winter climate. Once it’s established, no supplemental summer water is required. Light requirement: Partial to full sun Mature size: 3 to 20 feet tall, depending on cultivar Benefits and tolerances: Blossoms provide insect nectar and pollen; it produces seeds in fall. Seasonal interest: Fluffy blue to white honey-scented flowers in May When to plant: Fall to spring is ideal
Botanical name: Eriogonum arborescens Common name: Santa Cruz Island buckwheat, island buckwheat Origin: Native to the Channel Islands, except San Miguel Island, off the coast of Santa Barbara in California Typical plant communities: Coastal bluffs, rocky slopes, grassy hillsides, coastal scrub, chaparral and grasslands below 500 feet Where it will grow: Easily hardy to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, but can tolerate down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 7 to 10; find your zone)Water requirement: Drought-tolerant once established; water every three to four weeks or not at all Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade; will have a better shape in full sun Soil: Requires well-drained soil, otherwise adaptable; tolerates clay and alkaline soils Mature size: At least 2 to 4 feet tall and wide
narrow leaf milkweed
showy milkweed
Botanical name: Geum triflorum Common names: Prairie smoke, old man’s whiskers Origin: Native from the northern Midwest (Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota) into the northern Plains and the entire Mountain West into Nevada, Northern California, Oregon and Washington Where it will grow: Hardy to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 3 to 7; find your zone) Water requirement: Dry to medium soil Light requirement: Full sun to 25 percent shade Mature size: 6 to 12 inches tall and up to 18 inches wide Benefits and tolerances: A well-behaved ground cover; loves rocky soil Seasonal interest: Red, closed, drooping blooms in late spring give way to sparkly, smokey-looking seed heads and seed heads that slowly mature; fall color When to plant: Potted or bare-root plants can be planted from spring to fall; seed in fall or winter.
pink fairy duster
Yarrow
Botanical name: Cleome serrulata Common names: Rocky Mountain beeplant, skunk weed, cleome, spider flower Origin: Native from North Dakota south to Oklahoma and west, with scattered pockets in the upper Midwest from Ohio and Michigan to Missouri and Minnesota Where it will grow: Hardy to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 3 to 8; find your zone) Water requirement: Medium to dry soil Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide Benefits and tolerances: Very drought tolerant; superb nectar source for bees and other pollinators Seasonal interest: Blooms in mid to late summer When to plant: Sow seed outdoors in late fall through midwinter or let self-sow; the plants are difficult to propagate in nursery pots.
Pacific Aster - For gardeners in the West, this aster blooms from midsummer to early fall, starting out lavender blue and turning white. It can take many shapes — slightly sprawly to gangly to shrubby — depending on conditions, and reaches 1 to 3 feet in height. Pacific, or California, aster is adaptable, growing in coastal bluffs, in salt marshes, on slopes and in clearings in dry to moist soil. It spreads by rhizomes, so give it room to meander among grasses or other perennials.
Salvia pachyphylla (Rose Sage and Mountain Desert Sage)
Botanical name: Penstemon grandiflorus Common names: Shell-leaf penstemon, large-leaf beardtongue, showy beardtongue, large penstemon, large beardtongue, large-flower beardtongue, large-flower penstemon Origin: Native from Texas and New Mexico north to Montana and east through Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana and Michigan Where it will grow: Hardy to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 3 to 8; find your zone or find your ecorgeion) Water requirement: Medium to dry soil Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide Benefits and tolerances: Very drought tolerant; good hummingbird plant Seasonal interest: Blooms in late spring to early or mid summer; smooth, blue-gray foliage When to plant: Potted or bare-root plants can be put in from late spring to late fall; sow seeds in late fall through winter
Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii) Native to chaparral and coastal scrub in Southern California and northern Baja California Like other salvias, Cleveland sage sends its fragrance on the warm summer breeze, calling all the hummingbirds, native bees, honeybees and butterflies.
purple sage - salvia celestial blue
Desert Ruellia (Ruellia peninsularis) Native to Baja California, Mexico, and the Sonoran Desert Purple blossoms decorate the white stems and bright green leaves of this desert native. Desert ruellia is often used as a smaller alternative to Texas ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens). Flowers appear year-round, slowing down in winter. It’s slightly more cold-sensitive than Texas ranger and has hairy leaves. Unlike Mexican petunia (Ruellia brittoniana), desert ruellia does not readily spread or self-seed. Where it will grow: Hardy to 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 7 degrees Celsius), zones 9 to 10 Water requirement: Low; water twice a month in summer, every three weeks in spring and fall and monthly in winter Light requirement: Full sun is best for maintaining a compact shape, but it will grow in filtered sun Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide Growing tips: Plant in well-drained soil; if allowed enough room to grow, pruning once a year is all that’s needed; prune back to 1½ feet tall and wide in spring; no other pruning is needed
Violet Silverleaf (Leucophyllum candidum) Native to southwestern Texas and Mexico Violet silverleaf’s silvery- gray foliage catches your attention at first glance — until it begins to bloom, when it produces vibrant purple flowers that quickly take center stage. Flowering occurs in spurts, often in response to increased humidity. Blooming begins in summer and increases in the fall. Where it will grow: Hardy to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 degrees Celsius), zones 7 to 10 Water requirement: Low; water twice a month in summer and monthly in winter Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide Growing tips: Plant in well-drained soil and full sun; over-watering will lead to rot, so sporadic, deep watering is best; little to no pruning is needed other than to hand prune any wayward branches when given enough room to grow to its mature size
Globe gillia
Botanical name: Ceanothus, many species and varieties Common names: Wild lilac, California lilac Origin: The types typically grown in gardens originate in California, from ocean bluffs to the foothills. USDA zones: 8 to 10 (find your zone). Most types thrive only in climates with mild winters and sunny, dry summers. Water requirement: Light Light requirement: Full sun or partial shade Mature size: 1 to 25 feet tall and wide, depending on species Benefits and tolerances: These are evergreen, drought-resistant shrubs, from creeping ground covers to bushy near-trees. They need little or no irrigation after they've become established. Seasonal interest: Known for masses of blue in early spring to midspring. When to plant: Early fall is the best time; get young plants started before the rainy season. Planting in early spring to midspring is OK; try to let the plants settle in before the summer heat.
False or Desert Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa). If you are hoping to see what goes into the making of a butterfly, plant False Indigo. Southern Dogface Butterfly larvae rely on it for food. Indigo thrives in Arizona, New Mexico and California, from San Diego to as far north as Riverside County.
california poppy
California sunflower or california sunflower
For the patio -- This container in Santa Barbara, California, the designer potted a ‘Dancy’ tangerine (Citrus reticulata ‘Dancy’, zones 9 to 11) with thyme and azure-colored ground morning glory (Convolvulus mauritanicus, zones 7 to 9)
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