The side yard is finally starting to come together. The apple trees are getting trained. The Salvia daghestanica is putting on a nice show, as are the Nepeta 'Walker's Low.' We removed the 6 clumps of mostly dying aspen ourselves. The overgrown woody clumps of Salvia 'Maraschino' were removed and planted with rosemary 'Gorizia,' cuttings from the old yard. The gravel taken up and sifted, replaced. I revised the watering system. The overgrown Cytissus (was on the left above the retaining wall) removed. The struggling lavender removed. The dying Mugho pine removed. Still to be done: the roses need to arrive and be planted. The scabiosa will be removed and drip installed for lavender. The lavender in front of the left apple tree (too small to be seen in this photo, but where the drip lines are visible) needs to grow in.The rosemary cuttings need to root and then planted behind the 'Walker's Low.'
Things take a while in my garden. Not only do I do all the work myself (or with my SO's help), but I have to wait for the proper planting time, for orders to arrive, for cuttings to root. For example, I waited until the new growth of rosemary 'Blue Spires' to be of (hopefully) the proper maturity before taking cuttings from the old house (waited until the day before I closed on the sale). I suppose I could have just planted the commonly available 'Tuscan Blue' or 'Arp' but 'Blue Spires' is more upright than what is sold around here as 'Tuscan Blue' and seems to be hardier, and has greener foliage and brighter blue flowers than 'Arp.' I could have ordered them on-line, but it seems a shame to be spending $50 for four plants, more for shipping than the plants themselves. So I wait.
Can't wait to see how you de-Hilltop or de-Santa Fe-style-xeriscape that space! Fun potential and it's hidden.
ReplyDeleteI had the same experience with 'Tuscan Blue', though mine stayed narrow. After freezing to 12" high in 2/2011, it regrew to almost 3' last summer by the time I moved - but the blooms are just not blue enough for me, even though I'm safe for it an entire USDA zone warmer. 'Blue Spires' maybe worth a try.
Rooting / propogating your own Rosmarinus...that's the sign of a real Italiano. (but what's my excuse?)
Io sono Italiano veramente, lei no sa? LOL. Perhaps in another lifetime.
DeleteWell, this side yard is de-Hilltopped, but I don't know how far from Santa Fe it is going to look. Hopefully as far as...Tuscany? Maybe if I can get the fig to grow bigger. By the way, I checked on the rosemary cuttings, and there are roots forming. My records show that I struck those cuttings 5/7/2014. Could it really only be 2 weeks ago?