I’m getting Blue Garden Lotusland vibes from this part of the garden. A loose grid of paleleaf yucca (Yucca pallida) glows blue-green amid foamy, silver woolly stemodia (Stemodia lanata) groundcover. The anchor plant, by the trio of blue ceramic balls, used to be a gigantic ‘Green Goblet’ agave, which was striking. But when it melted in the February freeze, I replaced it with a powder-blue wheeler’s sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri), a strappy-leaved native that’s as drought tolerant as the agave but won’t be as tempting a target for deer-antlering damage in the fall. Which means I won’t need to cage it from October to March to protect it. Yay!

Now this space is bluer than ever, which makes me feel the opposite of blue every time I look at it.

Blue-green and silver-green plants are cooling to look at during the hot Texas summer. And plants in those colors tend to be more drought tolerant and sun-protected as well.

Look how the straw-colored leaf margins catch the light — pretty!

A blueish-green anole fits right in with this color scheme, but I found this one hanging from a red succulent planter. Hello, little guy! I love your blue eyeshadow.

Another blue yucca that’s a must-have in any xeric Austin garden is ‘Sapphire Skies’ beaked yucca (Yucca rostrata). Look at that shadow play on the rocks below!

All it asks for is baking hot sun, and we’ve got plenty of that to spare.

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Digging Deeper

Need design help with your yard? Hire me as your personal garden coach! Maybe you need replacement plant ideas after the big freeze. Or maybe your landscaping has grown tired, and you want fresh curb appeal. Or perhaps you’re ready to get rid of some lawn and create a pollinator garden, bird habitat, or hangout space for you and your friends. I’m here to help! Contact me to let me know what’s going on, and let’s figure it out together. My range is Austin and suburbs within a 25-min. drive of NW Austin, but I’m flexible and can travel farther with a surcharge, so let me know where you are. Weekday morning appts. only.

Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Season 8 kicks off in fall 2024. Stay tuned for more info!