Plantidote of the Day 2012-06-22

Assorted succulents in xeriscape

It takes a lot of water to keep the standard issue lawn green, especially here in Zone 10, aka the desert southwest. So the hip, socially responsible thing to do -- right after you buy a Prius -- is to kill your lawn and install low-water plants -- cacti, succulents, trees and grasses that can survive in dry climates without regular watering. Sometimes they're local, native plants, but not always.

A nearby neighbor just ripped out all the agapanthus, azaleas, and princess plants (sob!) and installed assorted succulents, etc. This is not a collector's garden, filled with rarities and 'ZOMG, what is that?' plants, but it does the job. If you want to see some incredibly beautiful, creative xeriscapes, just do an online search. There are tons of sites and blogs devoted to low-water plants and garden designs. Here are a few more images from my neighbor's yard to use as a starting point.

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Readers, please send twig (twig4now@gmail.com) images and stories for the ongoing Plantidote of the Day series. In exchange, you'll win undying fame in the form of a hat tip! Plants growing in your garden, your house, or neighbor's yard, plants from the forest or farmers' market, plants you preserved, plants you prepared (wine; cider; tea; dried beans), plants you harvested (grains; chantrelles), plants you picked (flowers), plants you dried (herbs), plants you covet or hope to grow someday. Herbal remedies, propagation tips, new varieties, etc.. And if you can, include some solid detail about the plant, too -- a story, the genus and species, or where you got the seeds, or the recipe, or your grandmother gave it to you. Or challenge us with a "Name That Plant" mystery entry ... And please feel free to add corrections and additional information in the csomments.

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