Common name:Artichoke
Botanical name:Cynara scolymus
This perennial will grow 4' tall and 6-8' wide. It has silvery green leaves with bluish purple flowers that bloom in spring. Artichoke is a favorite fruit/vegetable of California kitchens but it is a great ornamental plant often overlooked for color contrast. It is very tolerant of little water when planted for ornamental purposes.
Common name:Evergreen Clematis
Botanical name:Clematis armandii
A climbing evergreen vine, this Clematis may reach a size of 20-30'. Its dark green, slender leaflets have a leathery texture, and produce fragrant, showy white flowers in the spring. It tolerates sun or part shade, drought, moist soil, and prefers shade around its roots. It attracts beneficial insects and hummingbirds.
- Cornflower Farms
Common name: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.
Common name:Catmint
Botanical name:Nepeta X faassenii
Nepeta faassenii makes soft, gray-green, undulating mounds o 1.5 ft. high in bloom. The small leaves are attractive to cats. This perennial has lavender blue flowers in late spring, and early summer.
| Designer: Terra Bella Landscaping - N. L | Nikos Pots |
Photographer: City of Santa Cruz |
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.
Water Saving Tip:
Irrigate early in the morning and/or late in the evening to reduce water loss due to evaporation and wind drift.
Integrated Pest Management:
Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.