Here’s how to grow drought tolerant plants for xeriscape gardens that save water. Xeriscaping, commonly known as drought-tolerant gardening, can be spectacular water-saving gardens when planned properly and maintained regularly. In a nutshell, xeriscaping is landscaping using plants that do not require additional watering above normal rainfall. These gardens are typically advocated in areas prone to drought, such as Arizona. A xeriscape garden is also perfect where the pace of development is outstripping water reserves, such as Los Angeles. Xeriscaping provides a great way to have a great-looking garden without overtaxing the water supply. Drought Tolerant Plants Save Time and Water Xeriscaping and desert gardens require a design that minimizes rainwater runoff and evaporation. Fortunately, an interesting selection of flowers, grasses, cacti, shrubs, and trees can do very well in low-water environments. This plant variety provides many exciting design opportunities for a … [Read more...] about Drought Tolerant Plants for Xeriscape Gardens
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Best Roses for Backyard Gardens
The best roses are truly the superstars of garden flowers. They are revered all over the world for their beauty. As a lifelong gardener, it was difficult for me to select the 10 best roses to grow in a backyard garden. Many great roses didn’t make the cut. (Such is the downside of creating a Top 10 list!) All of the roses on my best roses list have edible petals. In fact, these roses have delicious edible petals. That’s one of the reasons they made this list of Top 10 Roses. (Just cut off the white part at the base of the petals, which can be bitter.) If you would like more information—including six recipes that use edible rose petals—read Garden Roses: Queen of Edible Flowers. A word about growing roses All roses need full sun, preferably at least 6 hours of sun per day. Roses prefer to grow in moist, rich, sandy, well-drained soil. Rose bushes also like to be mulched with a 3-inch-deep layer of organic mulch. Roses like to be watered deeply but infrequently—perhaps … [Read more...] about Best Roses for Backyard Gardens
