Wide Shot of the front garden, September 2013
Jumping on board a few days late with Heather’s new meme at Xericstyle — “Wide Shot,” for posting on the first of the month — I went out at high noon to take a few wide-angle snaps of the front garden. Although midday is not the best time of day for garden images, that’s when I had a free half-hour over lunch to get it done.
At top is the street view of my front garden, with flopping-over garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) providing pretty much the only blooms right now as summer crawls to an end. Repeating swaths of tawny Mexican feathergrass (Nassella tenuissima) and evergreens like Autumn sage (Salvia greggii), Texas sotol (Dasylirion texana), Mexican oregano (Poliomintha longiflora), and purple sage (Salvia officinalis) keep it interesting even during the dog days of drought and heat. Solitary accents like softleaf yucca (Y. recurvifolia), possumhaw holly (Ilex decidua), and ‘Pink Flamingos’ muhly grass add additional interest. Everything is tolerant of part shade, dry conditions, and our ever-present deer.
Here’s the west side of the bermed island bed in the middle of the circular driveway. As you can see, the plants here must be able to handle a half day of shade as well, plus blazing hot afternoon sun. ‘Color Guard’ yucca is the star — and more is more, as far as I’m concerned — with gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida), damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana), Mexican feathergrass (flattened by car tires), spineless prickly pear (Opuntia), ‘Powis Castle’ artemisia, softleaf yucca, and Mexican oregano providing solid, textural backup.
And since I haven’t shown it in a while, here’s the front courtyard garden, tucked between garage and house (the front door is to the right). This used to be a traditional foundation bed of evergreen shrubs fronted by crispy lawn grass. Now it’s a gravel garden with fun specimen plants: ‘Alphonse Karr’ clumping bamboo, bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa), slightly crispy Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), toothless sotol (Dasylirion longissimum) in the tall pipe, and ‘Jaws’ agave in the low metal ring, with ‘Sticks on Fire’ euphorbia and ‘Color Guard’ yucca in pots at the corner. Easy and super drought tolerant except for the Salvia leucantha, which just isn’t holding up in this location. It may have to go. But I’ll wait until after its fall bloom.
Check out the comments on Xericstyle’s Wide Shot post for links to other gardeners’ wide shots, which, unlike close-ups, offer a truer sense of a garden’s layout and appearance.
All material © 2006-2013 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
It’s all filling in and looking good in what feels like the worst of summer so far. I went out for the mail and yikes!
Love the flattened Mexican feathergrass which I’ve used along our driveway for the same reason. Easy and cheap to replace if needed.
The front gravel garden is looking good too. I also have plants like the salvia coming out this fall. The wilting despite extra hand watering has got to go.
A few years ago I’d have called Salvia leucantha one of our tough perennials for drought. These days? Not so much. It seems to need a bit more shade and more water than I’m willing to give it during this drought. I think it has to go — and isn’t that a shame? —Pam
Wonderful wide shots of your gardens. We don’t take enough of them, do we? I invested in a wide angle lens this year just for such shots of my landscape client projects. But I need to take more in my own garden. Gonna be a copycat and take some tonight to post…I’m back in the blogging mood and just making time for it! Love those yuccas in the front!
I look forward to seeing wide shots of your beautiful garden, Diana. Join the meme! —Pam
I love this trend. As someone fairly new to gardening I find them incredibly useful in figuring out how plants work together, even if macro shots are prettier.
It can be intimidating to show wide shots of one’s garden. It really is “letting it all hang out” when you show the big picture. But like you, I feel it’s more valuable than only showing pretty, tight, macros. —Pam
Garden looks good, everything growing! Here Salvia leucantha gets by on winter rain alone, but it’s not nearly so hot as where you are.
Yep, the heat and drought are a killer combo. A shame — I love this particular salvia in the fall. But I think an Opuntia is going to be taking its place soon. Or maybe another feathery bamboo muhly. Choices, choices. —Pam
Very nice Pam. Are suggestions accepted? Maybe more color in the front….some nice hot-pink Rose Pavonia, it peaks during these hot days and rewards you with new blooms every single day! Maybe some contrasting yellow like Black-eyed Susans or one I’m testing out now…Golden Showers Thryallis.
Simply beautiful!
Thanks, Lisa. 🙂 —Pam
Love, love,love your garden Pam! Oh, how I wish I could see it in person someday! Just beautiful!
Come on out for a visit, Rebecca! I’d love to show it to you in person. —Pam
Wow! Your front garden has come a long way in such a short time. Love that sticks on fire, especially. Martha enjoyed visiting last week and had nothing but praise for your beautiful garden and sweet boy 🙂
It was so fun to see Martha again and watch her mad photography skills at work. The ‘Sticks on Fire’ is actually prettier in cold weather, when it colors up nicely. Right now it’s just green. —Pam
Your front gardens are looking amazing – perfection! Thank you so much for joining Pam!
It’s a great idea for a meme, Heather. I hope lots of bloggers will join you each month. While it can be nerve-wracking to put one’s garden “out there” for people to critique, what I find is that these “real” wide shots help others see how your plants relate to each other, and they give you a good excuse to look at your own garden with fresh eyes. —Pam
Very lovely, Pam. I really like it. I love these wide shots.
I’ll try to remember to do it again next month. The salvias should be blooming by then. —Pam
I have salvia leucantha in a pot in partial shade and still struggle to keep it from dying in the heat. Your partial shade garden is great inspiration for a partial shade spot in my backyard.
Isn’t it sad about the Salvia leucantha? It’s so beautiful in the fall, but our summers are just killing it. However, I’m glad you’re finding some ideas here, Peter, for plants that can take the heat AND the shade. —Pam
Pam, where did you source the upright metal pipe? I assume it’s filled with a soil mix. Is it secured somehow?
A friend found it for me, Candace. Lucky, right? Two feet of the pipe is buried, and it’s filled with gravelly soil. —Pam