When I bought this house, the fence along 201st looked like this.
What could possibly grow in an area exposed to the hot summer sun,
with fast draining sandy soil that did not hold water?
The answer is a Xeric Garden!
(By the way, this is a good time to point out
just how much higher the fence is compared to the street.
Even before trees and bushes were established,
no one could see into the backyard over this 100 foot long fence.)
So what the heck is a Xeric Garden?
And why should I care?
Every garden must be watered on a regular basis, if you want the plants to thrive and bloom, right?
Well, yes, usually. But a Xeric garden is different. It NEVER needs to be watered. How can this be?
The secret is knowing which plants can survive only on the natural rainfall.
In our area, the rain comes mostly during the winter, and summer often has no rain for months.
Just pick the plants that are happy with that arrangement,
and they thrive and bloom all summer long without a drop of rain!
You will see all sorts of different strategies.
Lamb's Ear has white soft leaves covered in felt that protect against evaporation.
Lupines have fat roots, like carrots, that hold enough water
to get through an entire dry summer while blooming like crazy.
Some send their roots deep, deep down to find water sources.
The ceanothus bush and smoke trees will actually die from root rot if you water during the summer!
Each plant has it's own unique strategy, but all of them are covered in blooms every summer, without a drop of water.
The following pictures have been taken over many summers,
but all of them show beautiful, healthy plants thriving and blooming in this Xeric garden.
And all without ever being watered.
