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Hot Gardens Newsletter - May - June 2005 Previous newsletters by month Gardening advice by topic Hot Days, White Nights. As the temperature soars, most of us avoid our desert gardens until it begins to cool after dark. That is the best reason to consider planting a Night Garden. (But plant it next Fall -- not now. It is already too hot to plant anything except palms.) Night gardens are designed with moonlight in mind -- filled with white flowers and plants with variegated or silvery leaves which are visible in the moonlight. Among the plants to consider for a Night Garden in a hot, dry climate:
White Oleander (Nerium oleander) is a water-wise alternative to the white roses. Once established Oleander is one of the most rugged flowering shrubs and it blooms for months on end. It is also somewhat fire-retardant, in case you happen to live in an area at high risk for wildfires. (And if you live in a high risk for fire area be sure to clear all dry grass and brush in a 30 foot perimeter around your home and all buildings on your property.) Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii nanboensis) -- make sure you buy the one that produces white flowers because the purple flowering variety is more common. Very fragrant, lilac-like blooms and a drought-tolerant Western native.
Nicotiana alata -- the wild species of this upright flowering annual is very fragrant and a night-bloomer, but the slightly less fragrant Domino variety takes our heat better.
Evening Primrose (Oenothera Caespitosa) -- unlike the invasive pink Mexican Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa) which blooms during the day, this variety is actually night-blooming, fragrant and native to the West. Dwarf Cup Flower (Nierembergia caerulea 'Mont Blanc') - a low, mounding plant covered with small white flowers.
Hall's Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica 'Halliana') -- fragrant and attracts bees during the day. White Jasmine Vine (Jasminum officinale or Jasminum grandiflorum) -- as the name says, the J. grandiflorum has larger flowers. Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) -- first cousin to the Morning Glory, but this one blooms fragrantly at night. Texas Olive (Cordia Boissieri or Cordia parvifolia) -- not an Olive, but a native Western shrub that begins a long blooming season in late Spring. May flower again in Autumn. In addition to these you may find other night blooming plants at your local nursery. With all of them be sure to verify that the flowers are white. One Color, One Garden. Recently we have seen several gardens that are essentially all-green gardens with perhaps one additional color -- often a row of white roses or, in one case, a small bed of yellow Lantana. After decades of dominance of the English flower border style with its riot of colorful spring and summer perennials and high maintenance requirements, the simplicity of the all-green garden is enormously appealing. Also appealing is the minimal upkeep required by the gardens we have viewed: mow and water the lawn regularly, trim the shrubs and trees once or twice a year and -- voila! -- the garden chores are virtually all done. And
Finally. Summer shut-down is underway in your garden.
As longtime subscribers and longtime desert gardeners know, when daily
temperatures reach into the 90s F. plants begin to go into survival mode
for the summer. Blossoms fade and growth slows. Except for
annuals you may have in pots on your terrace, summer is not a time of
great activity for plants in the desert. Just keep to your regular
watering schedule and be sure to deep-water your trees every week or
two. But do not fertilize your plants in an attempt to make them
flower and grow -- you are likely to do more harm than good. |
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