Re: Need ideas for sun-blasted parking strip et al.
- To: o*@wn.com.au, medit plants
- Subject: Re: Need ideas for sun-blasted parking strip et al.
- From: J* S*
- Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 08:10:23 -0700 (PDT)
Margaret:
Maybe it's a matter of defining "terrible".
I have daylilies in my front landscape right now and
with but a minimum of summer watering (maybe once a
month), they look "acceptable" during that time. They
are not grand and lush but they bloom and nobody prays
for them when they walk by. Of course, they look
better after our winter rains. Keep in mind, too,
that I am on unamended river sand.
Unfortunately, these daylilies were here when I moved
in, so I cannot tell you their names (daylilies are
not my particular interest).
Thousands more have been planted in the boulevard and
sidewalk strips of this area, along with Fragaria and
Agapanthus and the like. Again, they receive only
minimum watering (once a month during the summer). I
don't know their names either. But I will ask. I see
nothing special about these cultivars and I suspect
they are the ones sold simply "by color".
I used to live in Northern Wisconsin on what is called
the "Sand Pine Barrens". It was glacier-ground sand
many feet deep. Some called it "blow sand". I grew
daylilies there as well. (The deciduous species and
cultivars.) I never watered. Even though we could
expect 20-30 inches of rain annually, it was difficult
growing typical Wisconsin plants on the sand that
dried out so extraordinarily quickly. But daylilies
grew very well.
In looking at them, daylilies have tough leaves and
husky, fleshy roots. Sounds like the adaptations of a
drought survivor to me.
Maybe the correct phraseology is "drought tolerant"
rather than "drought resistant". Daylilies don't
"resist" drought and look good for it; they simply
"tolerate" it until the water comes next, doing so
ungracefully.
I'll see what I can find out about the daylilies of
this sandy area.
Regards,
Joe
--- Margaret Moir <olivehill@wn.com.au> wrote:
> Joe, I'm interested that you say the day lilies are
> tough as nails plants. I
> haven't found them to be drought hardy at
> all....they sort of survive
> without lots of water but look terrible.
> Are there some particular varieties that you
> recommend?
> Margaret.
> Margaret River, Western Australia.
> www.wn.com.au/olivehill
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Joe Seals <gardenguru@yahoo.com>
> To: <jaknelson@shastalink.k12.ca.us>;
> <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
> Sent: Friday, April 13, 2001 11:14 AM
> Subject: RE: Need ideas for sun-blasted parking
> strip et al.
>
>
> > Julie, et al:
> >
> > Odd -- I just received this post, the original
> > request. This, after seeing many many answers for
> a
> > day and a half.
> >
> > Here's my two cents anyway -- I like these
> > tough-as-nails plants:
> >
> > Agapanthus (many cultivars)
> > Dietes 'Lemon Drop' and 'Orange Drop'
> > Hemerocallis (daylilies)
> > Phlomis (many species and hybrids)
> > Phormium (my favorite little ones: Bronze Baby,
> Duet,
> > Morticia, and Tom Thumb)
> > Pittosporum tobira 'Wheeler's Dwarf'
> >
> > I especially like these ornamental grasses:
> >
> > Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
> > Festuca californica 'Serpentine Blue'
> > Helictotrichon sempervirens
> >
> > I'd even be tempted to plant a few Juniperus
> > scopulorum 'Skyrocket' (NOT boring).
> >
> > As someone else said, plant a mixture.
> >
> > Joe Seals,
> > Santa Maria, California
> > (quickly returning to spring weather)
> >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > =====
> >
>
=====
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