Well,
I like those plants too, Ragna. (May I call you Ragna?)
I have Agave and lots of cacti and succulents. Also grasses and the like. I would totally go that way too if I wasn't so far north - too cold for them here in the winter. I have to haul them all into the greenhouse every fall. Ain't that a lot of fun??? Especially the Agaves - mean ole tangs. Zooks!

I do have a large Texas Red Yucca that I adore and it sits out all year round and does just fine. It's in a large pot resting inside the top of an old terra cotta sewer main pipe. The flowers and the sewer pipe are about the same color. I like it!
I rather like a bit of "Tasteful" junk in my garden. :)

I completely know what you are talking about though. I came to the same conclusion about my garden. Sooner or later I won't be able to keep up with all these flowers. The weeding is already too much. So...I decided several years ago that was going to start planting lots of trees. All kinds of trees that can grow just fine without any help from me (thank you very much). By the time the trees get tall enough to make too much shade for flowers, I will likely be too crippled up to take care of them anymore any who...so I will just have to TRY to enjoy sitting in the shade of all those lovely trees and watch the birds

I would love to have the kind of garden you are planning - just have lots of large and small pots of agaves, yuccas, aloes, and such with just dirt paths and gravel in the garden (No LAWN). Pots of plants that like the hot sun and arid conditions around the patio area, with comfy chairs and a little table near my fat bellied Chiminia fire pot, and my beloved hanging chair hammock.

I could dig it!
~Annie

I am cutting back fairly drastically on the iris I grow. They are beautiful, but a lot of work for a pretty short season. and I have too many, so I am trying to just keep the ones I really like and give away duplicates and close duplicates. I am growing more perennials and mulching heavily. Also, more shrubs.

I too am pushing the years, and I will eventually be unable to keep up with all the flowers. But the roses and many daylilies stay...but I will be doing away with all daylilies I don't love too. I have people waiting with hands out to take my rejects, so I don't feel bad about it.

kay

Gardening in cactus country
THOSE ARE STILL UGLY, Ragna.

That is a running joke between Ragna and I. I grew up in what is called the brush country part of South Texas. That means cactus, cactus, cactus, mesquite, ebony and hackberry. Did I mention cactus?

Love you my dear friend.

I almost bought some purple shamrock yesterday but thought maybe it would spread too much. It would be a great splash of color in certain spots. I like all your color combos.

You certainly have made some wonderful lemonade from those lemons (in the form of chilli thrips) you were given! :) While I'm not familiar with those desert plants I think a 'southwest cottage' garden is a sensible idea for your climate and your garden is amazing! I especially like the bright blue trellis and matching larkspur. Love the lime green of the canna and yucca with the bright blue also!

I'm now 71 and decided 2 years ago to make changes in my garden that will make it easier to manage. It's not that I can't still garden, I'm just no longer willing to be tied to it constantly. I'm retired and don't want to put in 8 hour days on my garden. While I'm not planning to move yet I also know that there are many potential buyers who would prefer an easy care garden so I'm heading in that direction. Two years ago I began to practice 'tough love' with my plants and didn't winterize my roses. They came thru beautifully, in fact didn't have their usual infestation of aphids which may or may not be a coincidence. Last year I removed all the self-seeders (shastas, yarrow, and a few others) and had truckloads of mulch brought in. There are still some persistent weeds but it's easier to remove them now. I'm planning to use more shrubs which take up more space so will need fewer perennials. I've also had the fencing redone so only have a (relatively) small house yard and the horses can graze the outer house yard a few times a summer to keep the grass 'groomed'. The rest of the time it's a place for the Grands to play after I've collected the road apples for my compost!

Change is good, especially when it's for our enjoyment!

Soon. Not yet, but soon. The water bills will decide when for me.

Thank you all for your responses.

Annie, with the acres you have what a wonderful plan to plant trees. As fun as it is, after a few years of delirious flower gardening it does seem we grow to appreciate trees more, deliciously green shady trees whose roots go deep to find water. It was recently discovered that they bring water up for other plants to use, too. Now that I don't need full sun for roses I've planted several smallerTexas native trees and more crape myrtles.

Kay, I'm with you on planting more shrubs. Kathy introduced me to the beautiful Canyon Creek Abelia. Abelias are one of our more drought tolerant shrubs. This cultivar has large panicles of flowers that look good as dried flowers too. I've planted several that she generously passed along.

Kathy, I'm laughing at the photo you posted to indicate your feeling about cactus ... HILARIOUS! Yes, we have this playful disagreement about the beauty of cactus and desert plants. I keep sending her email forwards with desert blooms slowly opening to music and all that, but she's not buying it. Kathy likes soft girlie flowers and I don't blame her a bit.

Schoolhouse, I haven't had the shamrock in the ground long enoug to see if it tends to take over, but in my climate I almost need plants that would in normal circumstances be considered invasive or they don't grow well. So we'll see how these do. The color is a nice contrast to light greens.

Luckygal, tough love is what I'll be practicing the next few years too. As long as the chilli thrips don't bother them I'll keep watering the bougainvilleas and the phlox because they offer so much color all season long They are in large containers so the water doesn't evaporate out into the bone dry ground making them fairly water friendly. And yes I too wonder how difficult an intensely landscaped house would be to sell. Anybody have experience in that area? How very wise of you to cut back on self seeders. As pretty as larkspurs are with their long season of bloom a lot of seedlings have to be pulled.

Hosenemesis, if it's not the water hose that'll get to you, it's the bill. With the drought the rates keep going up. The more water we use the more it costs per gallon. Ouch!

I remember my mother in law saying when I was a bride, "I run my household. I don't let the household run me." However much I love all aspects of gardening I'm loving cutting back on some of it so it doesn't run me.. Thanks for your ideas on how you're doing it. Much appreciation.

Love your garden pictures. A southwest garden sound like
a great idea. I love agaves, and there is such a big assortment of succulents
out there. Looking forward to your new pictures..