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Downtown Color
Blue Oat Grass
Brown Sedge
New Zealand Flax
Black Leaf Aeonium
Rock Purslane
Kleinia
Blue Oat Grass

Common name:Blue Oat Grass
Botanical name:Helictotrichon sempervirens

The blue oat grass is a evergreen blue clumping grass that grows 12-18 in. tall and wide. Its showy flowers are 1-2 ft. above the foliage. This plant looks good alone as well as in mass plantings. The blue oat grass likes dry hill sides and is drought tolerant. -Cornflower Farms

Brown Sedge

Common name:Brown Sedge
Botanical name:Carex testacea

The testacea variety is an evergreen perennial that reaches 2' tall bearing very narrow, coppery brown leaves splitting to hair-like threads at their tips, and continuing to grow to 4-8' in length. This plant should be grown in sun with little or no summer watering. -Monterey Bay Nursery

New Zealand Flax

Common name:New Zealand Flax
Botanical name:Phormium tenax

New Zealand Flax is a large, bold plant with stiffly vertical, sword-like, green leaves that arise from its base. It should be grown under full sun for best color. Varieties will offer different growth habits and leaf color.

Black Leaf Aeonium

Common name:Black Leaf Aeonium
Botanical name:Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop'

Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop' is a succulent perennial that is used for accenting effect. Aeonium arboreum grows 3 ft. tall and wide. Each branch has a 6-8 in. wide rosette of dark green, fleshy leaves.The flowers are yellow in clusters. The flowers are yellow in clusters.

Rock Purslane

Common name:Rock Purslane
Botanical name:Calandrinia grandiflora

This perennial will grow 12-36" and produces large blue/green rosettes that last for a long season. It produces large, silky, lavender/pink flowers that have lime/green, purple spotted calyces.

Kleinia

Common name:Kleinia
Botanical name:Senecio mandraliscae

This succulent perennial will grow to about 1.5' tall and 2' wide. It has curved, blue/gray leaves that are about 3.5" long and very slender. Frost-tender.

Designer: 711 Carmel Street, Santa Cruz

Downtown Color

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.

Water Saving Tip:

Learn how to use the various features of your irrigation controller.

If you’ve lost the instruction manual for your irrigation timer, find and download a replacement from the Internet.

Integrated Pest Management:

Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.