By Christine Reid.
This is the time of year when many gardeners, after a long day of watering plants, throw up their hands at the oppressive heat and lack of rain and threaten to do something drastic to save time and water. “I’m putting in a rock garden,” they say, “using just rocks!”
Those frazzled folks need to step back slowly from the rock pile. Here in Central Texas, people can have a beautiful yard and garden in the summer that has color, style and movement and yet doesn’t require a swimming pool full of water to keep it alive. One of the tricks is to use a diverse group of low-water, low-maintenance plants and some of the best are agaves, yuccas, cacti and other succulents, many of them cold hardy and resilient.
Some of these plants have stickers, points or spines, however, so keep that in mind when working with them. Always be careful with your face and eyes when handling them, wear gloves and protective clothing and don’t put them in high-traffic areas where kids, pets or passersby may run into them. If necessary and when possible, snip off sharp plant tips for safety.
Most people are familiar with the Century plant, Agave americana. It gets its name from the myth that it blooms only when it’s 100 years old. In very warm climates, it can bloom in six to ten years or more. In colder areas, it can take much longer. Whenever it does send up a tall flower stalk, however, it means the plant is near the end of its life. Century plants can get _a few feet tall to more than 12 feet and, over time, will often form pups, or small plants, at the base. Like other agaves, they provide a dramatic look to the yard and are easy to grow. They need full sun to part shade, very low water and excellent drainage, so don’t plant them in low spots and give them plenty of room to spread out.
Squid agave, Agave bracteosa, is also a nice specimen for this area, but only gets to about two feet tall and wide, is free of painful points and doesn’t die after blooming. It has an interesting free form look. It needs full sun to part shade and very low water.
Another popular and pretty plant is the Red Yucca, Hesperaloe parviflora. It has stiff green foliage but what really grabs people’s attention are the four to five foot tall flower spikes with vibrant coral blooms that sway gently in the wind every spring and summer. Red Yuccas can take full sun to part shade and require very little water, once established. They are also quite cold hardy.
Then there’s the prickly pear cactus, genus Opuntia, a plant that can be found draped over decaying logs and hugging fences along many country roads. They need full sun and low water. Some Prickly Pear varieties are spineless and all have bright blooms in spring and summer. They grow easily and provide an authentic southwestern look to your garden, especially when paired with an old cow skull or rusty wagon wheel!
The low-growing Missouri Foxtail cactus, Escobaria missouriensis, is another tough customer. It can handle the hot weather but is also hardy to below zero degrees. It can take light shade to full sun and, like most cacti, low water. It blooms in the spring and is very attractive growing in a mound next to a mass of native flowers.
When installing these succulents into your garden beds, put them with plants that have the same light and water needs. Think about the mature height of each plant and put taller ones to the back. Plant them in areas with very good drainage and use organic fertilizers only when needed. Provide textural contrast by combining hard-edged agaves with plants like the lacy Yarrow or dainty Blackfoot Daisy. Don’t forget to mix in plants that will move in the wind like Gaura and Mexican Feathergrass for visual appeal.
Succulents, when paired with other ornamental grasses like Inland Sea Oats or Gulf Muhly or brightly colored salvias, penstemons or skullcaps, can produce a garden that requires little in the way of care or water but provides much in the way of charm and rustic beauty. And as for those rocks destined for the all-rock garden...don’t get rid of them. Scatter them around as part of your design or just sit on the big ones as you enjoy your easy-care yard!
Have questions? Call (512) 398-6011 or email [email protected].
