THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF XERISCAPE 1. Plan and design comprehensively: Have a plan. Find out where things are. Consider the view, the slope, the exposure and soils of the area. Take into account the existing vegetation and topography of the site and the intended use. Group plants with like water needs together. Decide where things will be. Decide when things will be done. Most landscapes are best done in phases. 2. Evaluate soil and improve if necessary: Soils can vary within a given site; an analysis based on random sampling can provide information for plant selection and soil amendments. When appropriate, soil amendments such as sphagnum peat moss or compost can improve root development, water penetration and retention. Improve the soil before planting and installing the irrigation system. 3. Create practical turf areas: The type and location of turf areas should be considered a major design element of the landscape. The selection and location of turf should be decided on the same basis as other plantings; i.e., the purpose and function in the landscape. The reduction or elimination of turf areas, and locating them separately so that they may be watered more efficiently, can result in significant reductions in water use. 4. Use appropriate plants and group according to their water needs: Most plants have a place in Xeriscaping. Plant selection should be based on the intended use in the landscape. Use of plants with low water needs will allow the maximum water conservation. 5. Water efficiently with properly designed irrigation systems: The irrigation system should be well planned and managed. Irrigate turf areas separately. Group plants with like water needs together. Not all plants need the same amount of water. Irrigation needs change with the season and the weather. Irrigate according to the condition of the plants, rather than on a fixed schedule. Plants may require supplemental irrigation until they become established (two or three years). 6. Use organic mulches to reduce evaporation: Mulches minimize evaporation, reduce weed growth, slow erosion and help prevent soil temperature fluctuations. The use of mulches, applied and maintained to proper depth, is one of the keys to a successful Xeriscaping. Organic mulches such as wood chips or bark are best. Do not use any solid plastic under the mulch or elsewhere in the landscape. 7. Practice appropriate maintenance: Proper pruning, weeding and fertilization, plus attention to the irrigation system, will preserve and enhance the quality of the Xeriscaping. A landscape adapted to the environment will require less maintenance, less fertilizer and reduce the use of pesticides and other chemicals. The principles of Xeriscaping will assure an attractive, healthy landscape with the use of the 'just right' amount of water Some of the plants planted in the demonstration garden are listed below: Full and Afternoon Sun Morning Sun and Afternoon Shade Xeric Rabbit Resistant Centranthus ruber 'Coccineus' Jupiter’s Beard 24"-36" x 30" wide (seed propagated) This is such a versatile plant, being equally at home in both the xeric garden and traditional perennial border. Not fussy about its growing conditions, the showy rose-red flowers are continuous from late spring through summer. Prefers a well-drained garden soil. Avoid heavy clays! Zones 4-9. Xeric Full and Afternoon Sun Rabbit Resistant Salvia nemerosa 'May Night' May Night Meadow Sage 18" x 18" wide (cutting propagated) Selected as the 1997 Perennial Plant of the Year. Outstanding for its compact growth habit, profuse deep purple flower spikes and vigorous reblooming nature. "May Night" thrives in hot sunny planting sites. The first flush of flowers comes in late spring. Deadheading and a little extra watering assures heavy reblooming. Zones 4-9. Full and Afternoon Sun Rabbit Resistant Xeric Deer Resistant Achillea x 'Moonshine' Moonshine Yarrow 18" x 24" wide (cutting propagated) We recommend "Moonshine" as one of the best garden perennials currently available. It can be used in both xeric and non-xeric perennial borders, as it is highly adaptable in its soil and water needs. The distinctive silver-gray foliage is a fine backdrop for the lemon yellow flower clusters that keep coming all summer. Skirt the base of the plant with groundcovers like Delosperma cooperi or Veronica Heavenly Blue, then mix in with other taller perennials like Penstemon strictus; the possibilties are endless! Zones 3-9. Full and Afternoon Sun Morning Sun and Afternoon Shade Xeric Rabbit Resistant Attracts Butterflies Nepeta x faassenii 'Select Blue' Blue Catmint 15" x 18" wide (cutting propagated) I recently discovered a group of Nepeta x faassenii plants with noticeably bluer flowers. Identical in all other respects to what we have been selling for years, you will delight in this new find. Nepeta x faassenii has become a cornerstone in many xeriscapes because of its hardiness, longevity and long period of bloom. The first flush of flower comes in late spring. When deadheaded promptly you will enjoy a second flush of blooms in late summer. Out of flower, the neat mound of foliage has a pleasing fragrance, texture and gray-green color. By the way, this is a sterile plant that will not reseed and make a weed of itself like other more common catmints. Zones 4-9. Full and Afternoon Sun Xeric Rabbit Resistant Coreopsis grandiflora 'Sunray' 'Sunray' Tickseed 24" x 18" wide (seed propagated) An outstanding variety that Blooms Continuously all summer with large double golden-yellow flowers. Not picky about its soil, as long as it’s well-drained. Keep deadheaded for best flowering. Zones 3-9. Full and Afternoon Sun Xeric Rabbit Resistant Deer Resistant Artemisia x 'Powis Castle' Silver Sage 36" x 30" wide (cutting propagated) This is a very underused ornamental sage. With dissected silver-gray foliage, it is the perfect companion plant to use with other flowering perennials and ornamental grasses to bring out interesting contrasts of leaf color and texture. It almost never flowers, thus maintaining its neat appearance with no extra effort. Not at all fussy as to soil type, "Powis Castle" is also quite drought tolerant. Cut back to 6 to 12 inches above the ground each spring for best results. Zones 4-9. Full and Afternoon Sun Xeric Attracts Hummingbirds Agave parryi Parry’s Century Plant 24" x 30" wide (seed propagated) An impressive species from western NM and eastern AZ, Parry’s Century Plant is one of the most cold hardy of the Agave family. Forming large, heavily toothed rosettes, the sword-like leaves are blue-green. When the plant decides to bloom (after many years of slow growth), it sends up a huge 12- 15’ flowering spike that will attract hummingbirds from miles around! Not recommended for fall planting in Zones 5 and 6. Agaves need a long period of hot summer weather to re-grow their fleshy roots after transplanting. Zones 5-9. Full and Afternoon Sun Xeric Rabbit Resistant Gazania krebsiana Hardy Orange Gazania 6" x 12" wide. (Seed propagated) The rich orange color of Gazania ‘Tanager’ is a welcome addition to the early spring garden. ‘Tanager’ is a non-stop bloomer until the heat of summer arrives. A low mounding grower, it is excellent when grouped around the base of taller, blue flowered perennials like Nepeta x faassenii "Select Blue". This South African native loves full sun, and sandy or loamy soils; avoid heavy clay. Encourage re-seeding by planting along gravel paths or by mulching its planting bed with crushed gravel. Zones (5 in arid winter climates) 6-10 elsewhere. Full and Afternoon Sun Xeric Rabbit Resistant Deer Resistant Thymus 'Reiter' Reiter Creeping Thyme 3" x 30" wide (cutting propagated) This variety comes highly recommended, being a tough, vigorous ground cover suitable for covering larger patches of ground in your yard. Probably the most tolerant of foot traffic, its rich olive green foliage grows so thickly that it also chokes out most weeds. Watch for the extravagant display of lavender flowers in mid- summer. "Reiter" makes an excellent contrasting carpet to show off taller gray or blue-leafed plants like Gray Santolina, Artemisia "Powis Castle", or Lavandula "Hidcote". Faded flowers can be trimmed off with a lawnmower when deadheading large plantings like a thyme lawn. Summer blooming Zones 4- 9. Full and Afternoon Sun Morning Sun and Afternoon Shade Xeric Attracts Hummingbirds Echinocereus coccineus Royal Gorge Spiney Hedgehog 12" x 24" wide (seed propagated) This super cold-hardy collection originates from the Royal Gorge canyon area west of Pueblo, CO. Growing among black volcanic rocks in and along the top of the canyon, this plant is subjected to roasting summer highs and bone-chilling winter low temperatures. E. coccineus requires at least 4 or 5 growing seasons to reach flowering size. Zones 4-9. Sun Preference Full and Afternoon Sun Morning Sun and Afternoon Shade All-Day Shade Moisture Preference Normal Water Xeric Extremely Xeric Other Characteristics Attracts Butterflies Attracts Hummingbirds Rabbit Resistant Deer Resistant .