Himalayan Border Jewel Persicaria affinis

Xeriscape_tm

Beautiful by Design
Three plans for
year-round beauty

• A Plan for All Seasons
• The Double Decker
• The Big Tuna

Note: Design colors represent plant's flower or foliage color.

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Tall Green Rabbitbrush [Inset: Winter foliage] (Chrysothamnus nauseosus graveolen)

A Plan for All Seasons

By Jim Knopf, Landscape Architect

Jim's plant selections guarantee non-stop color from early spring to late fall. First to bloom is aptly-named Basket-of-Gold, followed by blue Catmint, white Snow-in-Summer and Grecian Yarrow, and multi-colored Iris. As spring turns into summer, pink blooms appear on the Soapwort. Shades of yellow first appear on the Pincushion Flower, Moonshine and Coronation Gold Yarrow and the Chocolate Flower in June and continue throughout the summer. The rose red flowers of Valerian and the magenta of the Winecup also provide long-lasting color.

In mid-summer the mix is joined by the blue flowers of the Lavender, and the red and yellow blooms of the Pineleaf Penstemons. Not to be ignored, the Golden Raintree displays its namesake chains of golden flowers, to be followed by papery, lantern-like seedpods.

Late summer brings the golden yellow of the Rabbitbrush and the Maximillian Sunflower, the s blue of Russian Sage, the deep blue of the Plumbago and the scarlet of the Hummingbird Flower.

Fall into winter color is provided by the evergreen of the Oregon Grape Holly and the Western Sagebrush. Additional interest comes from the foliage of the Plumbago, which turns bright red the fall, and the ornamental seedheads of the Chocolate Flower.

Note: This plan is designed to be viewed from both sides, so it would he perfect for a streetspace or as a border between two front yards.

Code	Quantity	Common Names	Botanical
A	12	Lavender	Lavandula sp.
B	16	Soapwort	Saponaria ocymoides
C	5	Yellow Pincushion Flower	Scahiosa ocraleuca
D	10	Plumbago	Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
E	2	Valerian	Centranthus ruber
F	6	Blue Fescue	Festuca glauca
G	12	Creeping Oregon Grape Holly	Mahonia repens
H	5	Moonshine Yarrow	Achillea x 'Moonshine'
I	7	Winecup	Callirhoe involucrata
J	4	Grecian Yarrow	Achillea ageratifolia
K	1	Tall Green Rabbitbrush	Chrysothamnus nauseosus graveolens
L	1	Dwarf Silver Rabbitbrush	Chrysothamnus sp.
M	12	Pineleaf Penstemon	Penstemon pinifolius
N	3	Coronation Gold Yarrow	Achillea x 'Coronation Gold'
0	3	Maximillian Sunflower	Helianthus maximiliani
P	1	Russian Sage	Perovskia atriplicifolia
Q	5	Chocolate Flower	Berlandiera lyrata
R	3	Faassen's Catmint	Nepeta x faassenii
S	5	Lavender Cotton	Santolina chamaecyparissus
T	5	Basket-of-Gold	Aurinia saxatilis
U	3	Arizona Hummingbird Flower	Zauschneria arizonica
V	7	Yellow Pineleaf Penstemon	Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow'
W	1	Tall Western Sagebrush	Artemisia tridentata
X	3	Bearded Iris	Iris germanica
Y	10	Snow-in-Summer	Cerastium tomentosum
1	1	Golden Raintree	Koelreuteria paniculata

Faassen's Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii)

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The Double Decker

by Cris Call, Denver Water

Most of the plants in this garden have color that spans seasons. The Serviceberry has white flowers in spring, purple berries in summers and brilliant orange to red foliage in fall.

Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum 'Atropurpurea')

The Rock Spirea features lovely pink and white plumes in the summer, which turn rust in fall. The leaves also turn red and bronze. The Rugosa Rose is a rugged repeat bloomer, with ink blossoms in summer and red hips and scarlet foliage in the fall. Purple Fountain Grass is an annual in our climate, but the rose/purple plumes and purple leaves will brighten the garden from mid-May to frost. Sunny Border Blue is a long-blooming Veronica that adds splashes of deep blue throughout the summer, while Elijah Blue Fescue Grass offers blue leaf color all year long. The Himalayan Border Jewel has wooly pink spikes in the summer which turn to rust. The bright green foliage turns copper red in the fall. More color can be added by planting Wave petunias in the raised bed under the Serviceberry. These wonderful annuals spread like groundcover, cascade beautifully down rock walls, and bloom continuously until frost. For additional spring color, plant crocuses in the raised bed, and groups of tulips throughout the lower bed.

Note: This garden features a raised semi-circular bed, easily created with landscaping rock, brick or flagstone and about 4 3/4 yards of fill dirt.

Code	Quantity	Common Names	Botanical
A	1	Saskatoon Serviceberry	Amelanchier alnifolia
B	1	Rock Spirea	Holodiscus dumosus
C	1	Rugosa Rose	Rosa rugosa
D	2	Purple Fountain Grass	Pennisetum setaceum 'Atropurpurea'
E	3	Sunny Border Blue Veronica	Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue'
F	10	Elijah Blue Fescue Grass	Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'
G	15	Himalayan Border Jewel	Persicaria affinis

	Saskatoon Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) – Fall
Saskatoon Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) – Spring

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The Big Tuna Designed by David Winger Denver Water

This garden takes its name from the Big Tuna Mugo Pine which serves as the centerpiece and provides a welcome note of green all through the year.

Yellow Lantern Clematis (Clematis tangutica)

Contrary to what the name implies, Big Tuna is actually a fairly small variety of Mugo, growing only about 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide. It maintains its compact form with no candle pruning or shearing, and is very hardy.

Spring through fall color is provided by the striking Denver Gold^TM Columbine, the Coral Canyon^TM Twinspur, and the First Love Dianthus, which has flowers that start out pure white and change to deep rose. Turkish Veronica provides an additional accent of bright blue in the spring, while Coronado^TM Hyssop and Orange Carpet® California Fuschia liven up the mid-summer garden with splashes a orange and gold that will last through fall. Climbing up the trellis o the east side of the garden, Yellow Lantern Clematis offers golden yellow low flowers in midsummer, followed by white seedheads. Early spring color can be added by planting groups of Hyacinths and Daffodil throughout the garden.

Note: Orange Carpet® California Fuchsia, Denver Gold^TM Columbine, Coronado^TM Hyssop and First Love Dianthus are Plant Select® winners for 2001.

Code	Quantity	Common Names	Botanical
A	14	Turkish Veronica	Veronica liwanensis
B	3	Orange Carpet®	Zauschneria garrettii
C	1	Big Tuna Mugo	Pinus mugo 'Big Tuna'
D	2	Yellow Lantern Clematis	Clematis tangutica
E	2	Coral CanyonTM Twinspur	Diascia integerrima `Coral Canyon'
F	2	Denver GoldTM Columbine	Aquilegia chrysantha
G	3	CoronadoTM Hyssop	Agastache aurantiaca
H	5	First Love Dianthus	Dianthus 'First Love'

Turkish Veronica (Veronica liwanensis

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