RE: Need ideas for sun-blasted parking strip et al.
- To: j*@shastalink.k12.ca.us
- Subject: RE: Need ideas for sun-blasted parking strip et al.
- From: S* A* O*
- Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 13:48:07 -0700
Julie -
I have been working with the landscape at my son's school here in Berkeley
for the past few years, and here are some successes I've observed:
Cistus 'Sunset' - low, compact, good foliage, decent flowering throughout
spring of deep magenta flowers.
Lavandula dentata candicans - vigorous, spreading/mounding, flowering all
of the time, never noticed bees. Tough, drought tolerant.
Lavandula x intermedia - also vigorous, long bloom period, fragrant
(everyone love it!), not noticing much bee activity.
Lavandula stoechas - low (compact if you pinch prune upright stems), tiny
grayish foliage, lots of fat flower spikes with purple 'flags' all of the time.
Raphiolepis - good performance - nice reddish-pink flowers, boring as can be.
Narcissus 'February Gold'? (not sure on cultivar - whatever is so
ubiquitously sold potted in spring these days) - got groups of 'past their
prime' plants donated to the school a couple of years running - they come
back in force, are too short to need staking, are too cute for words, and
provide a nice show in spring.
Iris (bearded) - got lots of rhizomes donated to the school, in various
colors; as they flower I might more them around to make better color
combinations; pretty easy and reliable, dormant in hot dry summer,
beautiful in flower.
Rosmarinus (various cultivars) - easy, tough, dependable, not noticing much
bee activity.
Ruta graveolens - tough as nails, takes poor soil and heat, blue-green
foliage, interesting yellow flowers right now, somewhat intense, unpleasant
scent but only if you handle it (not if you walk by).
Gaura lindheimeri - upright stems with white, pink flushed flowers; easy,
blooms continually, everyone comments all of the time; thinking of mixing
in the pink flowered and variegated foliage forms.
There are a few more success stories, but they are not hardy in your area.
h o r t u l u s a p t u s - 'a garden suited to its purpose'
Seán A. O'Hara fax (707) 667-1173 sean.ohara@groupmail.com
710 Jean Street, Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
