The other side.

Mexican hat would be most drought-tolerant of the plants you listed, and for me it grows in totally unimproved red clay that never gets irrigated. I love hollyhocks (some first-year ones from seed sown this spring are blooming now and I wasn't expecting blooms until next year). How well coneflowers would do there depends on how well the soil drains. I have to really be careful about where I put coneflowers because our soil can stay wet enough in a wet winter to kill them.

You know, you don't have to do an either/or. You can plant a multitude of different ones together so that you have something in bloom at every part of the growing season. The flowering plants that have me smiling in March or April are not the same ones that look dazzling in August or October. Go back and find photos of Lisa's flower beds in different months and look how different kinds of flowers are blooming in different seasons. Use that as your inspiration.

Getting a bed to transition through the season is tougher than I like! I am still working on it. The spring is super easy...and you will notice I have tons of those photos...and then it cliff dives after June! My daylilies are winding down right now. There will be a lull until the annuals finally kick in...zinnias, salvias and others.

You might think about ornamental grasses and some flowering bushes...those are long term thoughts...but it would build in some privacy and still give them some pretties. I will warn you that cutting down the ornamental grass is not always fun! But it has to be done. So go sparingly on those.

I should have saved you some wine cups seeds. I will look and see if I still have any. I love them. Callirhoe I think.

Look at what is blooming at abandoned properties ...that is a great measuring stick

How about Giant Sacaton. If you really want big there is an improved cultivar bred for windbreaks called 'Los Lunas'. The blooms come on early summer and its gorgeous back lit by sun. I have the unimproved variety along the east side of my property that I grew from seed, I really love the blooms.

Its a desert type grass so it will take draught or bad soil easily. I had 'Los Lunas' but it was a bit TOO big for my lot. Its a great privacy screen grass and fairly easy to cut down in late winter as the leaves are not sharp edged like Pampas Grass. Each one is 6ft wide so each plant goes a long way.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.highcountrygardens.com/nsearch?keywords=sacaton

Tex... you're onto something for me, here. I'm including another photo. My property comes to a point right in front of where I'm standing. It drops off into the other neighbor's lot along the left side of this photo. There's not enough room between the gravelled alley and the fence line where I was thinking for this grass. But do you see my problem on the left side? The lot is slowly washing into the neighbor's field. I'll be attempting pecan tree sapling transplants in this area. In the meantime I've been looking for an easy-care perennial erosion control. I never thought about ornamental grass!

I checked out this grass' properties on Wiki:

Important Erosion control
Wind break
And I think my rabbits might be able to eat it.
org mat'l for compost or bedding for the cages

Is it difficult to eradicate after it is established?
How many times a year do I need to cut it back or dig up?
Is it invasive? Site suggests it's not as bad as Old World types.

Dawn and Lisa:

I think the variegated blooming sounds like a smart way to go. I'm eager to plant mexican hat so I'm glad to know it's drought resistant! I need to look at those photos. I need to find out what I have and look them up on google, again.

If I'm going to edge my way around the fence digging up johnson grass, I might as well plant some pretties. All of a sudden this is fun!

I was surprised how easy it was to cut for its annual spring trim (the only time you need to trim). Its not invasive and its native. The grass I grew from seed didn't take off until year 2 but that is typical for any grass. I bought seeds from Plants of the Southwest, planted in pots in early spring and planted them later that year. They grew fast after the second year. These form a border by a walkway on my east side. I love them.

I had ordered 4 of the really huge 'Los Lunas' plants from High Country Gardens previously to block the view on my west side but they really were too big but only because they looked out of place with the perennials in the planted area in front of them. I dug them up and gave them to my sister in Kansas for her alley to block her neighbor. She hasn't had any problems with them.

I have two other suggestions. One is Switchgrass, my favorite is Panicum 'Northwind'. Panicum 'Heavy Metal' is also nice. 'Northwind' is a very tall cultivar that looks spray starched. You can purchase 4' pots from Santa Rosa Gardens. They are out of stock right now on it and several grasses but will have it available in fall. They have great spring and fall sales if you order late too.

Here is Panicum 'Northwind'. This grass stays upright in winter very well, come spring you really hate having to trim it to get it ready for the new growth. The blooms are already formed on mine, its gorgeous. Mine is up to my chest but it gets good moisture. The ones on the dry bank are smaller.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.santarosagardens.com/Native-Grasses-Ornamental-Grass-s/184.htm?searching=Y&sort=7&cat=184&show=20&page=2

This post was edited by TexasRanger10 on Thu, Jul 10, 14 at 15:47

Another big grass is Muhlenbergia lindheimer. Santa Rosa has this still in stock on sale currently I believe so you could purchase plants very inexpensively now. Its a big blue foliage grass that does well in dry conditions but will appreciate some moisture as well. Same as other grasses, need a spring cutting. Some people use a line cutter, I use grass shears and hand cut mine in the "big spring grass cut". As you can tell, I am a big fan of grasses. They are easy and give you a lot of plant per space. Mixing grasses is also a possibility.

I am doing this in separate posts because for the life of me, I cannot access photoshop. Sorry.

Little Bluestem. There are some really gorgeous ones. I am currently growing three types. 'The Blues' is very BLUE and gets fairly big and bushy. Its about knee height when blooming. Little Bluestem 'Blue Heaven' is one I have several starts I've potted up from my original plants I purchased from Santa Rosa Gardens 2 years ago. Its a smaller more vertical grass and I am working on a mass planting. The color in fall is fabulous but its not as blue in summer as 'The Blues'. Santa Rosa is currently sold out of all the varieties of bluestem. Its a grass that is really becoming popular for gardens.

Sideoats Grama. This is almost my favorite grass. Its a prairie native that forms a very thick tussock with tall stiff stems all summer -- in full sun it grows very stiffly upright, is thick with flowering stalks that catch the sunlight all summer into fall and looks good in winter. All the grasses I have listed make great winter interest. Most have nice fall color and all are well behaved.

Another is our state grass-- Indian Grass. It has blue foliage and there are some cultivars that are very blue. It definitely needs full sun or else it will flop.

A good small one is Blue Grama. Its another favorite of mine. All are native so they will survive on their own with no problem and none are aggressive or pests.

For low maintenance and interest you could add some Silver King Artemisia. I am working on an entire bank of this LOW LOW maintenance, self maintaining plant in a difficult spot along my property line since its so dry and the soil is bad. As a matter of fact, I am so enthralled right now with silver, I'm creating a mostly silver area by collecting other silver leaf plants for this dry hill to go with the grasses. Once you have it, you can spread it everywhere for free by digging a rooted stem and in time create swaths of white amongst the grasses and do a mixed grass/artemisia planting. This and the grasses is hard core, never have to water, good looking solutions. As time goes by, add in some natives like Blazingstar Liatris, Purple Prairie Clover, Mexican Hats, Blackeyed Susan's etc and the neighbors will be envious. I get my seeds from the local roadsides.

Here is my front yard. The grass just past the sidewalk is Sideoats Grama. The one in front is Muhly Grass 'Flamingo', it blooms pink. I got it from High Country Gardens but they no longer carry it. Next to it is Muhly Riverchonnii an Oklahoma native grass. Most of the rest is native plants common around here and from Texas. Russian Sage, the purple blooming shrub by the street is another tough one you could add for interest.

Your spot is 100% PERFECT for planting grasses with some natives for color and texture, it would be gorgeous. I wish I had such a spot to work on, I'd be in heaven.

This post was edited by TexasRanger10 on Thu, Jul 10, 14 at 15:59

I am SO all over this. You're spot on. I love the idea of filling in with the "colors and textures" and tinkering around with the native flowers as you suggest. I have many of those native flowers you listed in seed form, already. In fact, I'm nudged to break out the tracing paper and pencil when I get done with my current work load.

I have some research on these to do. I'm sure I'll be back with questions. LOL

bon