Common name:Flowering Maple
Botanical name:Abutilon hybrids

Flowering Maple usually grow to 8'-10' tall and as wide. Most will tolerate frost to 25 degrees F or lower with some damage. All are irresistible to hummingbirds with their showy flowers and heavy nectar production. They will take sun to moderately deep shade and little or no summer watering in coastal areas. They should be given more shade and water in hotter, drier climates. They make an excellent plant for containers. -Monterey Bay Nursery

Common name:Hybrid Tea Rose (selections)
Botanical name:Rosa Hybrid Tea varieties

These shrubs and vines are the most loved in the Western USA and are very resilient. They come in a wide variety of sizes and colors and are easy to maintain with proper care. They can be used in a water-conserving garden with careful attention to irrigation practices.

Common name:Green Lavender Cotton
Botanical name:Santolina rosmarinifolia

Santolina is an amazingly tough plant with small, yellow, button-sized flowers that cover the 3' tall and 3' wide shrub in the summer months. The green leaves are very thin and needle like. This plant requires absolutely no care in most environments once established. Too much water will lead to mortality. Best grown in well drained soils.

Common name:Mexican Blue Sage
Botanical name:Salvia chamaedryoides

Low mounding perennial with long bloom spreads by underground runners. Produces a small, silvery foliage which serves as a background for bright blue flowers. Bruised leaves have spicy fragrance. Native to eastern Mexico 7-9000' in desert habitat Grows to mature size of 2' tall and wide. Heaviest bloom in spring and early fall, intermittent throughout the rest of the season. Full sun, well drained site. No fertilizer. Drought tolerant.

Common name:Compact Myrtle
Botanical name:Myrtus communis 'Compacta'

This evergreen shrub is 6' high and 5' wide with aromatic leaves. It blooms with white, sweet-scented flowers followed by bluish black berries. It can be grown in sun or partial shade; well drained soil is essential. 'Compacta' has smaller leaves and is often used for edges and low formal hedges.

Compost for Healthy Soil and Plants

The natural world works in cycles. Everything is changing form and moving from place to place in an endless energy exchange system. The leaves and twigs that fall to the ground, not to mention other life forms that might die, decompose and combine with water, air and minerals of the soil to create a medium for future plants.

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