Hi-
The spring and summer got away from me,and the city caught up w/me concerning my very wide and long corner parking strip. Asap I want to xeriscape - 33% must be vegetation. Currently there is mostly dead grass (and perpetual weeds) that I purposely never water - straw color is OK with me and saves water and $.
Unfortunately I have little $ for this project and am looking for the most cost effective measures, also as low maintenance as possible (not just low maintenance but really low maintenance..) So far I have come up with bark mulch w/woven bl. plastic, tall grasses, maybe low evergreen shrubs, a few med-big rocks, and a few xeriscape plants, Please feel free to suggest other materials. I had a beautiful old maple cut down because of disease, old age, and negligence. The city offered me a shade tree last spring, but I rejected it because I was afraid I would kill another tree. I have a black thumb.
I've looked at pics of xerisc. parking strips for ideas on how to arrange these (or other) things, but I don't know enough about landscaping to aesthetically arrange them, and am up against a wall with the city to get it done.
Thanks for your ideas! -k
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applestar
- Mod
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- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Is there a sidewalk involved? Is it curbside to a street where people would park and get out on the passenger's side? -- I.e. do you need landing areas that can be walked/trampled on?
Need more details to visualize a design.
For knee high plants that would survive, I have a curbside mailbox area that never gets watered except in extreme drought and have been experimenting with different materials. So far, Bearded iris, lambs ears, wormwood, and the main plants -- they spread or self seed. Also spring tulips and grape hyacinths. Rudbeckias and red clover are also making their way there.
I need to prune down rudbeckia and wormwood when flower stalks get too tall.
Need more details to visualize a design.
For knee high plants that would survive, I have a curbside mailbox area that never gets watered except in extreme drought and have been experimenting with different materials. So far, Bearded iris, lambs ears, wormwood, and the main plants -- they spread or self seed. Also spring tulips and grape hyacinths. Rudbeckias and red clover are also making their way there.
I need to prune down rudbeckia and wormwood when flower stalks get too tall.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Native perennial wildflowers suitable for xeriscaping include: yarrow, milkweed/ butterfly weed, mariposa lily, desert paintbrush, desert larkspur, buckwheat, blanketflower, sunchoke, lupines, pink evening primrose, penstemon, prairie coneflower, asters, goldenrod, desert zinnia. Shrubs: juneberry, bearberry, desert ceanothus, manzanita, silverberry, turpentine bush, currant/ gooseberry.
Some of these you should be able to find at a good garden store. Some you might have to order on line or find a native plant nursery.
I found this place in UT that specializes in "waterwise perennials"
https://www.glovernursery.com/perennials_waterwise.php
and this has a list of native plant nurseries in UT:
https://forestry.usu.edu/htm/rural-forests/native-plant-nurseries/
Some of these you should be able to find at a good garden store. Some you might have to order on line or find a native plant nursery.
I found this place in UT that specializes in "waterwise perennials"
https://www.glovernursery.com/perennials_waterwise.php
and this has a list of native plant nurseries in UT:
https://forestry.usu.edu/htm/rural-forests/native-plant-nurseries/
Hi applestar - The forum fairy is not on my side tonight. I got your reply on how to remedy the Photobucket IMG problem, but before your fix settled into my brain from the reply, that page "vanished" altogether. Was I supposed to save it? Hope I can get on track here and resume gardening subjects! Thanks
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
[img]https://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b612/kgtys/RENTAL09HOUSE2bestwsmartfixS_zps3246d5c8.jpg[/img]
Well, well; I did it!
I was making it more complicated than it was. I erroneously thought the "paste" function was not available when I reached this site to paste it.
So you, applestar, and anybody else can look at this pic for clarification. I do have one question that hasn't been addressed yet (I think) . Can I do these plantings in the fall? (now?)-we have had a few days of cooler weather so far.) I'm sure spring is preferable. Thanks to everyone for hanging in there with me-a novice at gardening and my new Imac.
Well, well; I did it!
I was making it more complicated than it was. I erroneously thought the "paste" function was not available when I reached this site to paste it.
So you, applestar, and anybody else can look at this pic for clarification. I do have one question that hasn't been addressed yet (I think) . Can I do these plantings in the fall? (now?)-we have had a few days of cooler weather so far.) I'm sure spring is preferable. Thanks to everyone for hanging in there with me-a novice at gardening and my new Imac.
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applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30550
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Good job on posting the photo. Obviously this is one you had from before, when there was snow on the ground.
First, I would notify the city that you are in the process of taking care of the landscaping -- that should hold them off.
Now, we're talking about the strip between the sidewalk and the street, right?
If visitors will be parking along the street, you'll want a landing zone/path . You might want to try planting "steppable" ground cover like mother of thyme. There are others too but I can't think of them at the moment. You could also make a paver or flag stone area with wide gaps planted with the ground cover. In the photo, it seems like there is a bit of slope, so you might want to cut wide, shallow steps up to the sidewalk, opposite the steps up to the house. Other areas could be planted and landscaped.
Don't use the plastic mulch. It seems like an easy solution, but they eventually tear and fall apart and weeds will still root on top and root though. It makes it harder to maintain because you can't use tools to dig or hoe or till.
Melon size or larger rocks create watering stations by condensation so if they are easy to come by they make excellent addition to a xeric landscaping design.
You might reconsider about a tree. A tree native to your area is adapted to the climate conditions and will be less frail. By casting shade, the harsh conditions are moderated for the plants underneath. A nitrogen fixer would be a good choice. My mailbox area has a golden honey locust tree off to one side, and somebody always wants to park under the tree. Does the city only provide trees in spring? Fall can be a good time to plant some trees.
First, I would notify the city that you are in the process of taking care of the landscaping -- that should hold them off.
Now, we're talking about the strip between the sidewalk and the street, right?
If visitors will be parking along the street, you'll want a landing zone/path . You might want to try planting "steppable" ground cover like mother of thyme. There are others too but I can't think of them at the moment. You could also make a paver or flag stone area with wide gaps planted with the ground cover. In the photo, it seems like there is a bit of slope, so you might want to cut wide, shallow steps up to the sidewalk, opposite the steps up to the house. Other areas could be planted and landscaped.
Don't use the plastic mulch. It seems like an easy solution, but they eventually tear and fall apart and weeds will still root on top and root though. It makes it harder to maintain because you can't use tools to dig or hoe or till.
Melon size or larger rocks create watering stations by condensation so if they are easy to come by they make excellent addition to a xeric landscaping design.
You might reconsider about a tree. A tree native to your area is adapted to the climate conditions and will be less frail. By casting shade, the harsh conditions are moderated for the plants underneath. A nitrogen fixer would be a good choice. My mailbox area has a golden honey locust tree off to one side, and somebody always wants to park under the tree. Does the city only provide trees in spring? Fall can be a good time to plant some trees.
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SLCAvenueser
- Newly Registered
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- Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2012 10:28 am
- Location: Salt Lake City
kgtys, I TOTALLY sympathize- I just got served by SLC too, for kind of letting the (semi-)xeriscaped section of my parking strip get out of control & weedy. (Do you live in the Avenues as well?)
Like you, I was more interested in water conservation than maintaining that strip...and because I am one renter trying to maintain a huge chunk of green space (I live on a corner too), it was kind of overwhelming.
Anyway, I will be very interested to hear what you decide to do, because I am in the exact same boat- need to "prettify" it soon, before the hard frost, with xeriscape-appropriate plants. There are already some purple sage, fennel and simliar plants there, but I'm going to need to put in a couple more plants and/or a ground cover...
Like you, I was more interested in water conservation than maintaining that strip...and because I am one renter trying to maintain a huge chunk of green space (I live on a corner too), it was kind of overwhelming.
Anyway, I will be very interested to hear what you decide to do, because I am in the exact same boat- need to "prettify" it soon, before the hard frost, with xeriscape-appropriate plants. There are already some purple sage, fennel and simliar plants there, but I'm going to need to put in a couple more plants and/or a ground cover...