Xeric Garden -The Plants

Below are just a “couple” varieties destined for the new xeric garden.

• Agave parryii ‘Camp Verde’
• Agave havardiana (I know I killed one already, but I will succeed)
• Aster ericoides ‘Snow Flurry’
• Echinocereus reichenbachii v. baileyii
• Echinocereus viridiflorus
• Escobaria orcutti v. koenigii
• Gymnocalycium bruchii
• Hesperaloe parviflora
• Lavandula x intermedia ‘Provence’
• Origanum libanoticum
• Origanum ‘Amethyst Falls’
• Penstemon pinifolius
• Zauschneria garrettii

Xeric Garden -Part 1

I have never had luck growing anything in my gardens that required minimal watering. Not for lack of neglect though! I, like most, subscribe to the kill it 5 times before realizing I can’t grow it club. This attempt is #4.

Much like orchids, the more you fuss over your xeric plants the more difficult they will be to keep alive. I have had a mad fascination the the wood lilies, i.e Agave and Hesperaloe for years. Varieties of both are hardy to zone 5- only not in my portion of zone 6. Apparently the black-thumbed horticulturist can’t keep them alive. However, my lack of experience with these plants might prove interesting fodder for this, my first year of blogging.

I fell for the Agaves when a friend gave me a pup from her Agave parryii, hardy to zone 4. It was a quick death, and wouldn’t be the first Agave slaying. The third and last was a container plant, but the cold, moist winter of ‘06 was to blame. Supposedly hardy, I believe I was sold A. havardiana- marginally hardy to zone 6. That’s my story at least.

I have determined after much research and catalog perusing that I simple must have a xeric garden here in clay-stricken Pennsylvania. I have found a raised area that I believe will be an exceptional location for growing the treats I was once forlorn to grow.

In order to overcome what is believed to be the first of many issues, the soil, I will ensure proper drainage by constructing a raised garden to provide ample drainage from our notably excessive rainfall. By raising the garden bed and filling with a mix of sharp sand, peralite, and mushroom soil or peat, I hope to mimic the naturally low nutrient, high leach soils of the southwest while providing some organic matter to lighten the mix. Once I have determined what I think are the appropriate ratios I will update the xeric project.

Unfortunately the downpours began this afternoon and are scheduled to continue through the weekend. I hope to be able to begin clearing the proposed bed and removing the soil that currently occupies the space next week. The farmer in us knows not to work with wet soil, or the molecular structure changes and viola- rock-hard clumps. So I will patiently wait…