Category: Drought tolerant plants

Superstition Iris Farm, Cathey's Valley, CA

Iridescent Iris in a Sierra foothill garden

Iris time! Iris are a Sierra foothill gardener’s best friend in Spring because of the easy care and reliable beauty. Because they occasionally have to be divided, they are a common ‘pass along’ plant. Here’s a few favorites, your advice and how to divide irises. ‘Iris,’ was the goddess of the rainbow, the messenger of…

Creeping thyme and Ajuga

Deer-resistant low growers for the Sierra foothills

27 favorite ‘ground covers’ Growing plants that ‘cover the ground’ means you have something to plant in the front of a flower bed, something for along the edge of paths and, importantly, something that prevents weeds from growing.  You can even ‘create’ a lawn-like area that doesn’t take the maintenance of usual lawn care. All these…

Succulents in the Sierra foothill garden

9 Reasons we love succulents here! Why do we love these fun and fleshy little rosettes called succulents? Is it because they magically multiply? Or that they are fascinatingly cute? As gem-like accents to the landscaping in your garden, succulents add a beautiful contrast to rustic and rusty or galvanized containers. Hens and chicks, or…

Autumn sage, Flax and Lamb's ear

June Bloom in the Sierra foothill garden

Half the year is over and in the garden I’m walking around taking stock.  June usually means the real riotous bloom of the Iris, fruit trees and bulbs is dying down.  Now the dry garden can be the spotlight. Our climate is very close to that of the Mediterranean. We can grow all the plants…

Then and Now a slope of blooming shrubs

Then and now, a slope full of blooming shrubs

In a series of Then and Now photos, it’s satisfying to look back nostalgically to see how far we have come.  Bought in 2000, and in a completely natural area, we’ve striven to preserve the beauty of our 7 acres near the Sierra foothills of California, as we make a place for ourselves in this beautiful spot.…

Heatproof garden

Heat-proof your Sierra foothill garden

In our third year of drought in the Sierra foothills, we search for ways to allow our gardens to survive.   Here, you’ll see how to make your garden thrive!  Learn which plants to grow, how to water and how to preserve that water once it’s in the soil.  Included is a print and keep ‘ideal’…

California Fuchsia, easy to grow, complicated in name

Growing California Fuchsia is like hanging out a neon sign to a certain pollinator, namely hummingbirds! It also fills a need many native plant gardeners have of maintaining a colorful garden all year and Zauschneria fits that description. The red, red-orange, pink, or white blossoms — sized just for a hummingbird’s beak — open in…

California natives mix with Mediterranean neighbors

Taking advantage our our beautiful ‘natives’ Adding drought tolerant Mediterranean plants to our existing California natives is a winning strategy or a deer resistant garden. This planting area is a mix of CA natives and North American natives and Mediterranean plants suited to wild conditions. All are tough, hardy and blooming plants. We used to…