If you love lushness one will have to move maybe or do a rumplestiltskin. It will be wet on the west coast and everywhere else to the north if what they say comes to pass.Maybe we will perfect a new style of the Japanese rock gravel gardens with the raked patterns.

The Cloud Mystery is a truly beautiful theory that shows how cloud cover is controlled by the sun. This series is worth the time to watch. Some subtitle reading but 90% english. Cern (a Anthroprogenic Global warming leaning scientific Ass.) did an experiment to prove (or hopefully for them) disprove this theory and ended up backing it up a couple months ago with a sullen half hearted quiet announcement of garbled accent. Very interesting series. The Bob Carter thing is also an earful . There are so many interlocking systems. All of it way above my simple mind but I still want to listen and question.I do appologize for getting off topic. My mind does that. It wanders far afield.

The cloud mystery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=dKoUwttE0BA

Here is a link that might be useful: Bob Carter lecture

Linda. We have had back to back La Ninas in recent history. The decade long drought of the 50's was just that. There have been many double dip La Ninas in the last 60 years alone. and one just in 2007-'9, 1983-'85, 1975, 1955.

As far as long range predictions being wrong lately, might be because we are using faulty computer models using faulty science. Could be.

Here is a link that might be useful: Patterns of Back to back La Nina cycles

Faulty or incomplete science sure causes problems. Thank you for talking about the barycenter? barrycenter? wobble. That's new to me, too. What's going on in the sun might indeed change long term weather here.

Weather is sure complicated. Once, I read an article by an astronomer. He stated that as an astronomer, he would expect an ice age rather than global warming in the next centuries. He decided that since the global warming theory is based on the idea that changes in human civilization have caused changes in Earth's weather, he should be able to find evidence of people making climate changes further in the past, if global warming is a valid idea. He thought he did find evidence of such changes, and was surprised. He basically looked at times when large scale changes in human civilization occurred, and looked at whether the climate changed any in conjunction with the human changes. There were several examples, but the example that stuck in my mind was the creation of the rice paddies across large parts of Asia and how that changed weather! I would never have thought of that, but it made sense.

As for me, I'll stick to growing malabar spinach, swiss chard, salad burnet, violets, and okra. There will also be more concrete pavers added to the yard!

I think that global warming/cooling happens over too long a period for humans to take it in. Like the continents moving around and the mountains waxing and waning with tectonic plates and erosion.
They say the dinosaurs were killed off by an ice age some 65 million years before we arrived. So I'm guessing they farted a lot back then to make it freeze and by resurrecting thier remains as oil emmissions it's getting hotter? That's about how much sense it makes to me.
I went from the hottest desert in the Western hemisphere to a temparate area with the same planting zone. While I was surprised at this summer's heat wave it was more a PITA than a total crash. I'm used to xeriscape basically. This winter through next year I'm going to grow veggies in raised beds located in partial shade or tented. I should finish my small water garden by spring. My plan to replace most of my sod with xeriscape beds hasn't changed.
I do feel sorry for folks that lost a ton of landscaping. I know they worked hard to give thier homes a lush Southern garden look. They were so beautiful to look at. Just because I don't have the money or gumption to go that route doesn't mean I didn't think it was nice to see it at someone else's house.

After reading pjtexgirl's post, I must admit that I like the look of green landscaping over the look of xeriscape. Will I pursue that look? No. Water is too dear to waste.

I will try and keep the trees and a few shrubs alive and will continue to keep my large pots going. The last two summers I have found I can water the pots with collected dehumidifier water. But I will not plant any veggies or seed flowers this coming year unless we get a nice wet tropical storm.

I hope we don't have anymore fire dangers.

Am I cutting back?

I guess I am too optimistic (or hard headed) and will replant most things that I lost to drought, except for basket plantings.

I spent a couple of hours at Blue Moon Nursery this morning, and bought replacements for 15 herbs that I lost this summer. If they do not survive in the coming year I will just repeat planting them the following year.

soxxx, I love Blue Moon Nursery. One of my favorites.

I do have plans to cut back. I way overplanted to begin with (my eyes are bigger than my stomach), so now I have more to maintain than I can comfortably handle. Too much to weed, water, fertilize, mulch, trim, deadhead, spray, etc. With no sprinkler system, I dragged hoses and sprinklers around all summer, and it was so hot, watering was about all I got done. So everything is overgrown, full of weeds, etc. It's a mess.

My plan is to get it all cleaned up, then go through and get rid of anything that hasn't been doing well, or plants that have gotten out of control. Then I'll move the keepers to areas that are easier to water, and eliminate the beds that are farther out.

I too have no plans of cutting back, maybe keep them in a pot a little longer

It kept me very busy, but I lost very little this dreadful summer. It was already in my plans to "cut back", whatever that means to a gardener, so will try to be brave and do so. That means .......few new plants as I have so much already.

This was my first full gardening season in my "new to me" house and boy what a first year! I can't say that I am going to cut back simply because I have grand plans to make more beds so I have less grass, however, I will do it with xeriscaping in mind. Everything I planted in the front this year only survived on sprinklers 2x a week and overall did pretty darn well. I really want to get a shade tree started in the back since we have NO shade, but that is going to mean some babying. I plan on planting a chinese pitachio tree which I know are pretty tough once established, so hopefully it won't be too bad. My other additions will be OGR's and more of the plants that I have already done well this year. There may not be as much variety in my establishing years as I would like, but alive is good and low maintenance is even better.

Let me interject here that this "barycenter wobble" is indeed a bunch of BS, at least to the extent it influences climate. Sure, the Sun does get pulled very slightly around by the planets, but the distance from the Earth to the Sun remains exactly the same. So to the extent one wants to suggest global cooling because the Sun is moving farther from the Earth is uncomposted BS. The extent one wants to suggest global cooling because the Sun's luminous output is changing also has no evidence to support it. There are many factors that drive the climate of the Earth, and we don't necessarily understand all of them, but this isn't one. I saw that "research", and it was done by a geologist who, frankly, doesn't have any scientific reputation for work on solar physics, and is based on the work of someone who was, I understand, an astrologer and amateur climatologist.

The idea that we should have seen evidence for humans driving climate in the past seems also wholly bogus. There were VASTLY fewer humans in the past, and the ones who were around when civilization changed were pumping VASTLY less CO2 into the atmosphere than we now do both before and after it changed.

All that being said, it is indeed humbling that there are recognizable trends that may make these unfortunate recurring droughts in Texas, which seem to have started fairly recently, likely to be around for decades. My emphasis will be on shade trees, which I will water occasionally as they need it. I live under some 100-year old oaks, and the shade they produce is a real blessing in the summer. Though there is none nearby, I can only assume that wilt will eventually get them, but hopefully they'll outlast me.

In the near term, I'll be planting things that are either drought tolerant, or things that are easy to keep watered. My grassy parking strip (which is one of the craziest modern inventions) will be the first to go, as it is neither drought tolerant nor easy to water!

Supposedly earth slowly wobbles over many thousands of years. It's just too slow for us to even notice but at some point, the desert in Africa used to be tropical. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/green-sahara/gwin-text/2

Interestingly, that happened to be the end of Ice Age and also that was when that Sphinx supposedly existed at that time, not 4000-5000 years ago. The clue is water erosion at the base of Sphinx. I'm guessing that's your 'biblical' flooding...

Anyway, I am planning on getting rid of heck strip grass. It's getting really old trying to keep them alive (I live on a corner lot). I'm thinking about putting flagstone down in several sections for people to get out of the car and between them, I would have plant beds for drought hardy plants like saliva, latina, mexican feather grass, etc. It may be a few years project because of the amount of area to cover which would cost quite a bit but with much less watering, it should pay off after several years.

Monica, you asked about the grasses I grow; right now I have Panicum Heavy Metal, Mexican Feather Grass, Panicum "Dallas Blues" and Little Bunny (dwarf fountain grass). They just don't seem to mind the heat at all and continue to look good (unlike so many other things!).

Cactusgarden, who occasionnally posts here suggested Indian Grass and Little Bluestem, which I plan to put in the flowerbed on the north side of my house, as well as in swaths in the large flowerbed on the side of my house (which is JUST about ready to plant, yes! I haven't seen cactusgarden in a while, will put on a post here for help from her, she's an expert.

If I have finally learned only one thing this summer, it's to forget the frilly exotic stuff, it just doesn't work here so may as well accept that and enjoy what Texas offers!

Thanks for the names of the grasses that do well in our area. That might be the way to fill in those empty places after the dead plants are removed.

Monica

Thanks, daninthedirt. That helps. From my college days, I tend to be suspicious of theories until scientifically proven.

Linda,

Even stuff you learn in college aren't always the best.

Here are a couple examples...

1) Saturated fat and cholesterol consumption causing heart disease... Pure myth if you were to hit pubmed for random controlled studies... turns out that low carb, high fat diet like Atkins, Paleo, etc turned out to be by far the superior diet to control heart disease and diabetes!

2) Sun scare... we've all led to believe that sun is bad for us because it causes skin cancer...

Turns out that it's not so simple. The KEY is INCONSISTENT sun exposure that led to higher risk of melanoma skin cancer PLUS 18 others including breast, prostate, etc. Vitamin D is crucial to cancer fighting! Thanks to sun scare, we now have a widespread vitamin D deficiency that is responsible for so many chronic health problems that is supposed to cost us 4 TRILLION dollars in health care expense over the next 10 years if nothing is done about widespread vitamin D deficiency.

I can tell you for sure that Dietetican program in college isn't that great after having taken a few classes. I had already learned everything prior to that and was shocked to see how much of it are influenced by politics.

Be skeptical of everything esp what is taught in college (beside math, chemistry, physics, engineering). Biology is sketchy because of human evolution... too many questions remains in that area. You'd be surprised how much information are left out of classrooms in college...

That's interesting, thanks to the sun scare I've been using sunscreen diligently, and guess what, I have Vitamin D deficiency even though I spend a LOT of time in the yard! Makes you stop and think, doesn't it?

ogrose,

Sunblock prevent vitamin D production in the skin when exposed to the sun. Moderation is the key when it comes to sun exposure. Best to take vitamin D supplement esp during the winter when UVB sunlight is weak or nonexistent or rather round year if you have full time job. Best time to get sun for vitamin D is between 10am and 2pm during warm months when you're comfortably sunbathing in swimming suits. You'd be surprised how much more you get vitamin D from the sun compared to food... easily at least 10,000 IU after 30 minutes for Caucasians (6-10 times longer for black people due to potent sunblock dark skin). Compare that to only 100 IU in a cup of FORTIFIED milk. It is real clear that we have evolved to rely on vitamin D directly from the sun, not food.

Best information about vitamin D is Vitamin D Council and Grassroots Health website.

I had heard about 9 years, but not 20. My plan is to plant my peppers and tomatoes around the foundation sprinklers - kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Well, I've had 3 skin cancers already. I really wish I hadn't spent so much time in the sun when I was younger.

Well, at 70 years old, I don't spend TOO much time in a swim suit, to say the least, but do spend a lot of time gardening!! At this point, don't know quite what to do, but will do some research...

Thanks, lou!

ogrose

Linda, which type of skin cancer? Basal or Melanoma? Basal is from too much sun, still a lot better than melanoma which is likely caused by lack of sun round year ironically.

The key is consistent and moderate exposure where you don't get sunburn but still keep your vitamin D level up that greatly reduce risk of getting at least one of 18 different cancers. http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/cancer/

Hard to believe that pharma knew about vitamin D's cancer fighting ablity way back in 1980s. Right now, they are currently working on knock off vitamin D to patent to treat cancers. The natural form of vitamin D we get from sun can't be patented. It's like they don't want us to know so they can charge high amount of money to treat cancer with knockoff vitamin D. Grr... http://www.naturalnews.com/032202_vitamin_D_deficiency_disease.html

lou, all were basal cell (thank God) and all were on my face...so far. I'm checked by a dermatologist every six months and anything suspicious has to have a biopsy. I'm a native of Texas and fit the profile of the typical skin cancer patient! My dermatologist recommends that I stay out of the sun as much as possible and use hats and sunblock products. I'm taking calcium and vitamin D supplements because of my low bone density problem anyway. Oh, and there are some more types of skin cancer than you mentioned.

I spend a ton of time in the sun and still have a vitamin d level that is low, I take supplements and have my level checked every 2 years.
I think I'm up to about 8 skin cancers, including one squamous cell and then the basal cells. Excessive sun exposure causes skin cancer, including melanoma. So every 6 months I go to the dermatologist, every month I do a skin check. Anything and I go to the doctor.

As far as them predicting a 20 year drought, THIS year was supposed to be a terrible year for hurricanes hitting the Gulf Coast and Florida, the years 2000-2010 were supposed to have record category 5 hurricanes hitting both the Gulf Coast states AND the East coast, this drought wasn't predicted last year and now it's going to be 20 years...watch the weather forcast,they can't get it right for tomorrow so I darn sure don't believe any long term forcasts.
We've been under mandatory rationing for months now, haven't planted a thing all summer, let the veggie garden go and am debating putting in the fall garden this week.
Tally HO!

Beach says, "watch the weather forcast,they can't get it right for tomorrow so I darn sure don't believe any long term forcasts". LOL and true!

I'm doomed for skin cancer sooner or later. I have an unusual combination in my skin. I'm blonde blue (Slovack like dad) and very white olive skin from being Eurasian(mom). I grew up outside. The beach, the mountians, the desert. The desert is high elevation at 3,000 ft so the sun is even stronger. Olive skin doesn't burn in non-tropical sun. (I burn in Hawaii,phillipines and bahamas)SO....guess who spent, oh like, 30 years in full sun without sunblock?
The good news is I did absorb enough vitamin D to counteract being Eurasian, tall, thin, and chronic malabsorption for about 11 years (celiac) and being very, very thin as a teenager. I think the exercise helped too. I now wear a hat and longs sleeves but still get exposure on my arms and can actually tan through my cotton shirt.

Well at least I'm at low risk for heart disease.

For several decades I have been provided inaccurate information from government studies, private studies, university-sponsered studies, as well as countless personal erroneous opinions from professionals, so I plan to make no drastic changes in my gardening. I will modify a few things to make my work easier in a particular gardening season, but I plan nothing in terms of long-term changes.
Molly

Yes...and No.

I'm not cutting back on "gardening", just high-maintenance plants. I'm putting in MORE plants, thus more "gardening", but will be replacing a lot of lawn and shrubs that need TLC.

Here in the Houston area, I am preparing for drought and hurricanes by planting plants that can handle both very little water and lots of water. There are not many plants that can handle both, but they are out there and they're going in my yard this fall.

I don't CARE "why" we've been having more extreme weather, but I grew up here, and have been seriously gardening here for 25 years.
The weather has gotten EXTREME. This is a FACT, and I am taking steps to deal with it.

Seems to me that rather than cutting back it should be a matter of rethinking. A lot of people seem to describe xeriscape as drab or colorless, comparing it to green and lush. If you consider green as just another color, this is not the case at all. My experience is indicating xeriscape is a lot more colorful than the standard planting with lush green lawns and shrubs. When green is the dominant color that can get a bit monotonous and conventional. Or boring. Sometimes lush bright green looks downright out of place or artificial in places like New Mexico and, in my opinion, parts of Texas.

There are many colors beautifully set off by the neutral shades of blue/grey, green/grey, white/grey etc plants. Grey leaves and foliage usually mean xeriscape and are what gives it harmony. Grass-green suddenly looks tacky when added to it. So actually, it a matter of a building around a different color palette. A xeriscape has just as many possibilities for variety, lushness, drama and color as a more tropical or English Garden type of landscape.

It also seem to me that the last thing you would want anyone to say, driving by your property is this: "Boy, they must have to water a lot to keep all that going". It would be much better to have people drive by and say "Wow, look at that, now THATS what we need to start doing and look how gorgeous it is!"

I do think that for people in the city and on city water, there are plants like salvias, and xeric perenials that do color and Leafiness and do not scream Xeric like cactus and yucca scream xeric. Even within xeric one can get many effects. There is a lot of variation within the category.

We here in the city up in Oklahoma are just used to paying for water. We pay rain or drought because we don't ever get it free from the sky so its kind of matter of paying for less gallons of it. Its not like they pump it to us for free or anything. In a drought, you're just gonna need $$ extra $$ water, xeric or not. Otherwise, stuff dies and that cost$ big time in replacement so decisions are made to fork more $$ out during the drought. Not to mention the time it takes to do it. Less time and less gallons of watering seems like the smart move to me. Besides, I'd much rather look at plants that are standing up to the heat than poor wilted specimens that don't no matter how fancy they looked at the nursery. Xeric doesn't mean just cactus and yuccas was my point in color. BTW, my salvias have never seemed all that xeric. Autumn Sage is one thirsty plant, for example, comparatively speaking.

Autumn sage is still alive here and blooming. Strange.

Heck no! I'm not cutting back.
I garden for my pleasure, the hummers and butterflies. Cutting back is not an option.

In the future when I am forced to cut back by physical limitations, I'll just quit and find something else to spend my time, energy and money on.

I'm thankful my family doesn't depend on my gardening to feed them. :)
We'd be eating bark and twigs and squirrels if that was the case.

Boy, talk about good news or bad news, I have both. Today we finally had a nice rain, but Round Rock, TX has a severe water pump break, so we have a no outside water (at all) law in effect for at least two weeks. Wow.

I am saving my tap water while I wait for the tap to get hot and hope that will be enough. Keep praying for more rain.

Mara, glad you have something blooming, you said everything had died. I meant compared to the Artemesia, Russian Sage or Barometer bush. I have quite a few different kinds of plants that looked good this summer on once a month watering. The S. greggi wasn't one of them. The purple blooming one seems to need even more than the red and looked stressed but its a young plant.

We are finally getting some significant rain.

I am not cutting back but rather changing the way I will garden. Much of my horrendous water bills have gone to put soaker hoses on the big oaks on my property. In spite of these lovely trees, I have areas that get full, hot, all day sun. I lost quite a few roses, but large established ones all made it, save just a few. I have just determined what is going to do well in that all day sun. I am moving all my roses but the old gardens behind my big horse barn that gets afternoon shade - wont try to grow them in the beds in the front yard with all day sun, they cant take it. I have an experimental bed to try out all day sun plants. It is full, lush and colorful. What did well is lantana, [different colors like Grandpa's Pumpkin Patch, Dallas Red, Carlos], esperanza, Pacific Red periwinkles [actually, all periwinkles], tropical hibiscus, Blue Daze, purple fountain grass, firebush. Daylilies hunkered down during the worst of the heat, but are now popping up and growing well. I was at the Antique Rose Emporium yesterday and bought [on recommendation from a Gardenweb member] a couple of Texas Tea Bushes. Also a Pam's Pink turks cap. From the SFA fall plant sale I got Thyrallis - saw this at ARE and it made a big bush with beautiful yellow flowers. I am planting cherry laurel in a big bed that gets full sun to help shade things. I will use more heat tolerant shrubs and intersperse with old garden roses and the above named tough annuals. Indian Hawthorne, previously shunned by me for being a bit too 'common', has looked good everywhere during the awful heat - I am in process of filling in with some of it. I love giant lirope - it never missed a beat.

I will be moving quite a few roses, trying an edging of boxwoods, making a former long bed more lush with heat tolerant shrubs, giant lirope and old garden roses with a border of yellow lantana and hot pink Pacific periwinkles and white angelonia [which has done very well in the heat!] I used to be a purist and hand watered everything - but no way could I keep up with everything that needed water, so I now use soaker hoses [why did I wait so long to do this??] and a big tripod sprinkler from Lowes is a huge help in watering large areas. I am planting more trees now - I have taken the trees for granted in the past - now all I care about is saving them - I can replace everything else. I put down rocks in the small strip between my garage driveway and the wrought iron fence - used black pots from Lowes and put seasonal color in them[now its purple fountain grass, mums, red and purple pansies and yellow lantana with a tiny pumpkin and a little scarecrow stuck in]. Next summer, for sure the pots will contain esperanza edged in hot pink periwinkles. I want my yard to look good and if I have to change the way I garden, I will. But....I WILL GARDEN NO MATTER WHAT. Gardening is trial and error anyway......I have certainly learned what works in extreme heat/drought and what doesnt. I lost some plants I really liked....but I can grow them again and change locations where they might survive next summer. Now, when summer comes next year I will be ready for it. Instead of whining because of the decline of plants like what I lost this year - I will trot out the heat tolerant heavy hitters and instead of bemoaning my huge water bill and watching the stuff die....hopefully I will feel I got my money's worth by seeing thriving heat tolerant plants! Thats the plan, anyway!

Would love to hear what plants did well in the heat for all of you!
Judith

Melvalena said "I'm thankful my family doesn't depend on my gardening to feed them. :)
We'd be eating bark and twigs and squirrels if that was the case. "

That is so funny and is the case here too. I am about done with maters :-)

At the most, I watered once every 7-10 days from mid July through September. I did not water outside this time period and probably will not water again until next July.

My garden looked great in the spring, a little crispy in the summer, but bounced back in the fall.

Click the link for photos and a list of native plants that I identified as Winners and Losers in my garden for the Summer of 2011.

Here is a link that might be useful: 2011 Winners and Losers

mscotty, I saw your yard featured in the Dallas Morning News, I was so impressed; believe it was last year, right?

Where do you get your natives, do you grow from seed or is there a source locally for plants? I just sowed blanketflower seeds yesterday, have desert marigold and various grass seeds to put in.

mscotty
Do you have a preplan or just plant (sow) randomly?

Orgrose, What did you end up getting from Santa Rosa? I noticed you took advantage of the sale. I passed this fall and am back to native shrubs and forbs. I did get Indian Ricegrass seeds sowed, they need two months of cold strat. and I just direct sowed them. I ordered some more native seeds (mostly shrubs) from Plants of the SW too adding to my earlier order.

Seeds I added to my earlier list:

Rhus microphylla
Silver Lupine
Feather Dalea
Buckwheatbrush (Eriogonum corymbosum)
Mentizia
Pale Wolfberry
Desert Holly
4 Wing Saltbush

mscotty:
I have been following the Plano Texas blog ever since I stumbled across it a year ago. You did the same thing I had done 3 years earlier and planted the whole yard in natives so I keep up with your progress. I love the results and find it an interesting blog. I added native grasses last year too. I sent the Plano blog on to my sister in Wellington, Kansas who started her complete prairie makeover this spring. She got turned in for "tall weeds and grasses" by a neighbor who didn't like the native landscape/no lawn and had to go downtown and explain herself. They let her do it once she laid it out and explained.

Ogrose, you have a good memory. Yes, I had my brief moment of fame when the DMN ran a story about my garden. I posted a link below.
I get most of my plants from native plant sales. Many of the local chapters of the Native Plant Society of Texas have sales in the spring. The Heard Museum in McKinney also has a spring sale. Rohdes, Redentas, Shades of Green, Weston Gardens and several other independent nurseries also sell natives. I don't have great luck with seeds unless they are self seeded by the plants in my garden.

Soxxx, it is all sort of planned randomness. I put thought into the general area for plants, especially the larger ones, but a lot of the plants in my garden grow where they want to grow. I step in and move or remove them when they grow where I don't want them to. I really don't know anything about design.

Cactusgarden, I am glad you find the blog interesting. I started it almost four years ago when I decided to get rid of the front lawn. I thought I might need it as proof that my garden was intentional and that I was not just lazy and letting the weeds grow. It is unlikely that someone that was not maintaining their garden would post photos and write about it on the internet. Fortunately, I have not had any problems with Code Enforcement.
Glad everything worked out for your sister. Are there any pictures of your yard or your sister's on the web? I always enjoy seeing what others have done and borrowing ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dallas Morning News Story

mscotty, I have some photos posted in the Gallery here one post showing spring and another in late summer. I shot some in the dead of drought, late August, that showed what some stuff was made of. My sister got her name published in her local paper for violating tall weeds and grass city ordinances and a fine they suspended. That rather ticked her off but otherwise, hasn't had any other problems except for choosing the worst possible year to strip it down the nub in spring and try to establish plants.

My randomness sounds like yours. Lots of plants have naturalized or choose their spots, but I have more cactus to work around. Gotta have tweezers in my back pocket all the time and be a bit acrobatic when weeding. I love seeing what other people have done and its not that easy to find many of them online. I zeroed in on yours pretty quick though and loved it along with the posts.

That's very interesting to me, the randomness of the plantings, think I will try that in my new flowerbed and just see what happens, guess they will grow where they're happy. Thanks for the information on nurseries that handle our natives, will check them out for sure!

cactusgarden, I got Agave Baccarrat and two yuccas (can't remember the names). Have them planted in a "holding area" until my 'landscape contractor' son decides to get with the program - talked to him tonight, told him to put a big sign on the bare bed with the name of his company and when he started this project, which was in March. He wasn't amused - and neither was I, to say the least!! Garden club is visiting later this month, a bare bed will certainly be interesting to look at, I'm sure, lol!

Mscotty, I just love the way your yard looks!

One of the projects my Garden club undertakes each year are the gardens at the local library. This past summer the folks on the project had to water twice a week. I'm going to try to convince them to convert one of the beds to a drought-tolerant, native bed, to both reduce maintenance and to educate the folks here on what we can do with reduced water.

Again, thanks for the inspiration!

Lin

ogrose, doesn't it seem like common sense to have a degree of random planting when its native? Not that you have to encourage it, nature sort of insists on it. I do like some plants massed in for effect and that has happened naturally. I like seeing surprises and as long as I keep it from being overgrown and messy with my paths clear for visual effect to set the different areas off, I am fine with it. Its the most rewarding fun I have ever had gardening and its opened up an interesting subject (to me) of native plants to research and try to find which has become an activity all in itself.

Don't worry about the bare bed. There was one at the History Museum (planted all in natives, mostly grasses) and I was so curious to see what they'd do, I made regular drives out there to check.

yeah ogrose, don't worry about a bare bed. We're all gardeners and have had them and will have them in the future. :)

mscotty
I love your yard! As someone who has had code called on mine a few times now. Why do you think they don't bother you?

In Arlington, it is totally complaint based...has any of your neighbors complained? If yes, how did you overcome it?

thank you
c

cactusgarden, you're right, they will grow where they're happy! However, I do plan to stick to swaths as far as the native grasses are concerned, remember, my husband likens them to "weeds", but is very supportive with what I want to do in the garden. The only thing he really insists on is getting a sprinkler system installed, but I can work with that with the different zones (I think)!

This is going to be a fun project, as will plant my pot ghetto of Old Garden Roses along with native plants, will see how they work out together!

Did any one else get to the LBJ wildflower's bi annual plant sake this last weekend. Now I am shuffling around trying to find money for my electric bill. It was good, good , good as always. I only pick up unusual natives since many I can find at other nurseries here in Austin.

Orgrose, those grasses look much better massed, especially the prairie grasses and Mexican Feather Grass which look particularly nice when spaced very evenly in a more formal arrangement. Your husband will take back his words. But some types also look good I think sprinkled in with other plants for texture contrast. I'm liking the sideoats grama and blue grama better than the Little Bluestem now that they are all blooming. I love the bluestem though, especially in summer but these other two catch the light in a way I really love. I'm crazy about the Deergrass as a single specimen. That would look great with your agaves.

I am growing 8 Muhly Lindheimrri. I have one planted by the condensation drain pipe to the air conditioner. It is 5 ft 9 inches tall and tripled in width this summer. I measured. Not flopping a bit, stick straight blooms with all that moisture and gorgeous. I was fearing it would flop like some do with too much water. All the others are much shorter.