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Tour: Chris Dundon Garden

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Olive
Standard Rose
Red-Hot Poker, Torch Lily
Century Plant, Maguey
Catmint
Lamb's Ear
Homestead Purple Verbena
Evergreen Eulalia
Olive

Common name:Olive
Botanical name:Olea europaea

This broad tree will grow to 40' tall and has small, gray/green leaves with fleshy black fruit that appears in fall.

Standard Rose

Common name:Standard Rose
Botanical name:Rosa species

These shrubs and vines are the most-loved in the West and are very resilient. They come in a wide variety of sizes and colors and are easy to maintain with proper care.

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.

Century Plant, Maguey

Common name:Century Plant, Maguey
Botanical name:Agave americana

Fast growing to about 6-10' tall x 8-13' wide. Wide, grey leaves have stiff terminal spines and recurved teeth on margins. Prefers full sun and well-drained situations. Prone to agave snout weevil which will eat the roots and heart out. 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.

Catmint

Common name:Catmint
Botanical name:Nepeta X faassenii

Nepeta faassenii makes soft, grey-green, undulating mounds to 1' tall in bloom, spreading 3'-4' wide. The small leaves are attractive to cats. This perennial has lavender blue flowers in summer. Catmint can be planted in sun or shade and needs medium amount of water. Prune spent flowers to encourage more blooms.

Lamb's Ear

Common name:Lamb's Ear
Botanical name:Stachys byzantina

This tiny, herbaceous shrub will grow less than 1' tall and has medium-size, grayish/green leaves with blue and lavender flowers that bloom in the spring.

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.

Evergreen Eulalia

Common name:Evergreen Eulalia
Botanical name:Miscanthus transmorrisonensis

This grass will reach 2.5'-3.5' tall and has narrow, green leaves. Eulalia will arch and have an 8' wide spread. Golden flower spikes appear in spring, lasting through winter, shooting up 6' tall. Eulalia is drought tolerant once it's established but give occasional water to spruce it up. It prefers full to part sun. Give this grass some width area.

Designer: Mark Lewis

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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.

Integrated Pest Management:

Develop healthy soil for plants that are vigorous and naturally pest-resistant.