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Blues and Greens Galore
Blue Fescue, Blue Fescuegrass
Yellow Moraea, Fortnight Lily
Fountain Grass
Deodar Cedar, Calif. Christmas Tree
Dwarf Periwinkle, Dwarf Vinca
Yarrow
Canyon Prince Wild Rye
Blue Fescue, Blue Fescuegrass

Common name:Blue Fescue, Blue Fescuegrass
Botanical name:Festuca glauca

This groundcover/grass will grow less than 1' tall and has small, blue green leaves.

Yellow Moraea, Fortnight Lily

Common name:Yellow Moraea, Fortnight Lily
Botanical name:Dietes bicolor

This clumping perennial Iris relative stands 3'-4' high. It has light yellow, iris-like flowers with maroon blotches that are about 2" wide. It performs best in full sun and in soil with good drainage.

Fountain Grass

Common name:Fountain Grass
Botanical name:Pennisetum alopecuroides

Pennisetum alopecuroides is a perennial grass. Bright green, 3'-4' tall foliage clumps are topped by pinkish plumes in early summer. Leaves turn yellow in fall and brown in winter. Tall grasses are highly combustible.

Deodar Cedar, Calif. Christmas Tree

Common name:Deodar Cedar, Calif. Christmas Tree
Botanical name:Cedrus deodara

This fast-growing, coniferous evergreen is capable of reaching a size of 80' high by 40' wide. Its needles are a light, silvery green color.

Dwarf Periwinkle, Dwarf Vinca

Common name:Dwarf Periwinkle, Dwarf Vinca
Botanical name:Vinca minor

This groundcover will grow less than 1' tall and has small, glossy, dark green leaves with blue, purple, lavender, or white flowers that bloom in the spring.

Yarrow

Common name:Yarrow
Botanical name:Achillea millefolium

This Achillea features spreading mats of fern-like rosettes, along with deeply divided leaves of a green or gray green color. In this form, the flowers are usually a white tone. Stems can reach 2'-3' above foliage. Yarrows propagate easily from rooted cuttings or division, which should be performed in the early spring or fall. Following bloom, one should dead head the plant and divide the clumps when it appears crowded.

Canyon Prince Wild Rye

Common name:Canyon Prince Wild Rye
Botanical name:Leymus condensatus 'Canyon Prince'

One of the best known and utilized native grass selections in Southern California, this beautiful, blue gray foliage spreads out 3'-4' or more. It will reach a height of 2'-3'. It rarely flowers. It does spread by rhizomes although not as vigorously as some closely related species. It can be extremely drought tolerant and care must be taken not to over water this species as it can rot from the center. Otherwise, it is carefree and requires virtually no maintenance.

Dealing With Drought

More than half of the water used at your home is for outside purposes. Studies show that on average, half of the water used outdoors is wasted. The leading cause of waste is incorrectly set and poorly managed irrigation controllers. The second biggest cause of wastage is broken irrigation equipment that goes undetected. There are a few basic things you can do to make a big difference in your water use.

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Designer:

Blues and Greens Galore

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.

Integrated Pest Management:

Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.