Checking out our plants in the outside world

Shooting Star Garden Tour 2015!  Our friend Tracy suggested we go on a tour of some gardens that she and her company- Sage Hill Landscape had designed and installed using some of our plants.  We thought that sounded like a great idea!  We don’t get out much and it would be such a good learning opportunity to see how our plants were doing outside of their little nursery environment. As well as what plants were winning the fight against deer, heavy clay soils, drought, and a hot summer.  First off, we were all stunned by this Chilopsis ‘Bubba’ pictured behind Erik.  It was huge and covered in burgundy flowers.  In the foreground are Salvia ‘Caradonna’ and Stachys byzantina (or Lambs Ear). 

First off, let’s say what a great job our designer, Bonni Criswell, did on this landscape design.  We were truly impressed with the beautiful combos and textures she created of silvers, blues, purples, and whites.  This client is nearby the nursery on Old Stage Road and the garden was planted in April of 2014.  So this was it’s second summer when we visited and it looked filled in and thriving.   The client needed drought tolerant, deer resistant, and all season interest plants and Bonni delivered.

Dwarf conifers were requested by this client so this combo includes a Papoose Sitka Spruce, Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ and the ornamental grass Panicum ‘Northwind’.

More fun combos!  On the left:  Panicum ‘Northwind’ with Agastache ‘Heatwave’ and Salvia ‘Heatwave Glimmer’.

On the right:  Salvia ‘Caradonna’ (purple blooms) and Feijoa sellowiana (Pineapple Guava) with Picea Globosa, and Salvia x ‘Heatwave Glimmer’ (creamy white blooms).  Evergreen textures mingle with early summer and late summer blooming perennials so you’ll never be bored.

On the left: Choisya ‘Aztec Pearl’- a great evergreen shrub with sweet smelling flowers in May with Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ in the background and Caryopteris ‘Dark Knight’ on the left of the path.

On the right:  A resting pose- Teucrium chamaedrys (Creeping Germander) is almost done blooming but still looks good against the warm rock.  This is one of our go to evergreen perennials.  Deer resistant, drought tolerant, bee attractor, and evergreen leaves!

This garden in east Medford was designed by Laurie Sager and Associates and installed by Sage Hill Landscape. These plants went in the spring of 2015 so had a difficult first summer of record heat.  Plus the stomping and nibbling of deer and heavy clay soil.  But we were impressed with how well the prairie grasses had done- Panicum ‘Shenandoah’ with red tips and Bouteloua ‘Blonde Ambition’.  They had both grown quite a bit and didn’t mind the clay. It will look even more beautiful next year when everything knits together and the mass plantings wave in the breeze.

Here is what you can do with Hell Strips!  We are working with Mt. Meadows Retirement Community in Ashland and Bumgardner’s Landscape on replacing their grass areas with drought tolerant plants.  They are still filling in but it is looking really good over there and has been a great demonstration on what a landscape median can be.  The other qualifications were that the plants had to be low maintenance, deer resistant, fire resistant, and low to medium in height.  I think we came up with a diverse mix that gives color all year round!

Our own drought tolerant design garden at the nursery is growing too!  This just got planted in the spring of 2015 and the Rhus ‘Tiger Eyes’, Salvia x ‘Ultra Violet’ and Pinus ‘Banshoho’ are filling out nicely.

The Zauschneria ‘Everett’s Choice’ and Penstemon ‘Margarita Bop’ have proven themselves too.

This garden has been a work in progress for a few years now.  Our designer, Christie Mackison, has worked with the homeowners to figure out the best options for plants that are drought tolerant, deer resistant, can handle growing on a steep hill on Scenic Rd. in Ashland, and are all season interest.  The winners are Phlomis fruticosa, Teucrium chamaedrys, Erigeron Profusion, Nepeta, Euphorbia ‘Ruby Glow’, Salvia ‘Endless Love’, Pennisetum ‘Karley Rose’ and many others.  It’s been lovely to have a client that is into experimenting with us, as the deer and soil conditions are always giving us challenges!