Hotlinks:

Tour: Splendid Sanctuary

Add
Tree and Friends
Black Mondo Grass
Dusty Miller Shrub
Black Mondo Grass

Common name:Black Mondo Grass
Botanical name:Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'

This plant makes a tuft of approximately 8" and is about 1' wide. It has very unusual leaves that start out green and turn black in a couple of weeks. It has pink summer flowers but is grown for the unusual black foliage.

Dusty Miller Shrub

Common name:Dusty Miller Shrub
Botanical name:Senecio cineraria

The Dusty Miller grows to 2' tall and wide, with velvety gray leaves that have broad, roundish lobes. Yellow flowers heads appear in summer and sometimes, intermittently. Dead head occasionally to encourage bushiness. Use foliage for cut flower arrangements. It prefers full sun and medium amount of watering. It is not frost hardy.

Designer: KenCairn Landscape Architecture

Tree and Friends
Image: 5 of 18

Photographer: GardenSoft

Soils and Compost:

Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.

Water-Saving Tip:

Consider replacing some lawn areas with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs.

Good candidates for removal are portions of large lawns, areas where no one uses the grass, patches that don't grow well, or spaces too small to water without overspray.

Integrated Pest Management:

Remove irrigation water and fertilizer from areas where you don't want weeds to grow.