Gardens on Tour 2011: Ridgecrest Drive garden
A recent client of mine wanted design ideas for a pretty, xeric, low-water planting on her septic drain field. The Ridgecrest Drive garden on last Saturday’s Wildflower Center-sponored Gardens on Tour is inspirational in that regard.
The septic field is front and center on this West Lake Hills property, and a low-water lawn grass like Bermuda would have been the traditional choice, as septic fields should not be irrigated much and cannot be planted with large shrubs or trees with extensive root systems.
Instead, Robert Leeper Landscapes planted a naturalistic and completely non-irrigated meadow of xeric clumping grasses and flowering perennials like Salvia leucantha, accented around the perimeter with a few large agaves.
It’s quite beautiful in spring, as the Mexican feathergrass (Nassella tenuissima) tosses its blond mane in the breeze, and I imagine fall will be nice too as other ornamental grasses come into bloom.
Without irrigation, I would expect even a drought-tolerant meadow like this to get a bit brown and crispy, especially during a drought such as we’re experiencing. But perhaps the nature of the septic leach field provides enough supplemental moisture for these hardy plants to stay green. I may drive by this summer to take another look.
The rest of this garden is very minimalist, with mostly hardscaping and gravel. It didn’t appeal to me. But the septic field design is something that could inspire a lot of suburban and rural homeowners who are looking for a more sustainable—and beautiful—treatment of their leach fields.
For a look back at the Stratford Drive garden click here. Tune in later today for a tour of the Eanes Circle garden.
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
That is an fantastic looking meadow garden and, does give one pause to wonder how it can survive a drought.
Love it when that Mexican Feather Grass blows in the wind – like a soft carpet of feathers.
I just love the look of grasses…amber waves. The pic with the agave and the grasses is really lovely.
So is there really grass growing out of the rock (last picture) or is that just a trick of the camera?
It probably is, Loree. Our native rock is limestone that often has holes or pockets where soil collects. There are many plants that will seed in those pockets, including, apparently, feathergrass! —Pam
Gorgeous! I love the trend of xeriscaping that is replacing unnecessary lawns. I can imagine that is a theme that you work on often in your little arid part of our USA! I have redesigned many a lawn out of landscapes to be replaced with these gorgeous low water, low maintenance yards! I’m sure your client is excited to see what is coming!
Wow. I’m seeing a pond of grass with a river of grass flowing out of it and meandering around the property, integrating the field into a design element and rendering it invisible. Nice.
I love that field. I’m sure it fits into that part of Austin better than a St. Augustine lawn. A few wildflowers would be nice there too.
Interesting grass collection.
So did you ever drive back by this Lawn, Pam? I’m following your Lawn Alternatives on Facebook as I’m in the middle of xeriscaping our front yard – all my turf and thirsty groundcover have just been removed – no more lawn. I’m curious to know how these grasses have held up in this hot drought…. Thanks for the info., Cyndi K., Austin
I’m curious too, Cyndi. It’s on the other side of town, but I’ll try to drive by sometime soon. —Pam