Michelle and I were discussing plants that would be ideal for her bare, desert-like, hilly front yard. She cannot seem to keep plants from dying in the south-facing dry conditions. Succulents would be the answer, we thought. And I remembered our landscape specialist, Rene, telling me to plant a certain succulent in my south-facing flower bed. It has quite a lovely silvery green, velvety leaf and it was called ___ [something] ears. She said it spreads like crazy, makes a great ground cover plant and I was to make sure it is contained within the scope of the bed. And I proceeded to tell Michelle all about it – but I couldn’t remember the name. I decided to Google it – and these were my search terms:
• Donkey’s Ear (yes, there is such a plant) a little velvety, and little silvery green, but it just didn’t look quite right. And Michelle pointed out it grows in Madagascar...
• Rabbit’s Ear – so again, a little velvety, a little silvery green, but not good for our Zone. Something not quite right. And I noticed one of the pages on Rabbit’s Ear plants asked the question – Rabbit’s Ear or Lamb’s Ear? So I searched Lamb’s Ear and...
• Lamb’s Ear. This is it! This is the plant that I have ready to plant in my south-facing bed.
Here are a couple of sites on Succulents, as drought-resistant, almost-impossible-to-kill plants, for Michelle:
SimplySucculents
Succulents for Northern Gardens
Lovable Lamb's Ears Plant
Lamb's Ear (HGTV)
Anyone with personal experience with this plant or other succulents, we'd love to hear about it. I planted mine to winter last year, and plan to move the plants to its permanent home this year, so I have no personal info on this interesting plant.
The Autumn Joy sedums, pictured on the Succulents for Northern Gardens link, are very tough and easy care. I like the foliage in all seasons and pink or reddish coloured tops in late summer through fall. They aren't gorgeous flowers with big petals, but masses of very tiny sort of buds. A grouping of them with their blue-gray leaves and some low red sedum like Dragon's Blood in front is nice. They may not bloom at the same time, but I am all into the contrast of foliage rather than flowers now.
ReplyDeleteGood old-fashioned Hens and Chicks are also very easy and fun to grow. They spread like mad when they are happy. The flowers are weird spikes.
Portulaca is an annual that likes hot and dry places I recall. Never grew any, but my Mom did and she was not much into gardening.
My dad has a very dry, south-facing garden in the front yard and he grows amazing (and now HUGE) irises. I would certainly give those a try as they seem to be doing remarkable.
ReplyDeleteHe also has a low laying hardy geranium that has grown very well. 'Geranium Cantabrigiense' It grows in a round clump, and will keep growing bigger and bigger. It has purple flowers, and the leaves smell like lemon when crushed. The leaves also turn beautiful red in the fall.
We have split the plant and transplanted it throughout the yard. There doesnt seem to be a place it doesnt grow. I have even taken sprigs of the leaves and planted them in the ground in the summer, and they have taken and grown.