Gardening-4-Life: Xeriscaping

Trial gardens at Dallas Arboretum

Time sure flies! Its hard to believe that two years have passed since I last posted anything here. Life does what it usually does...move on. Its been a busy season in our family going from full time home schooling to having graduated our last child. What in the world will I do with myself now? --- Oh yes, gardening and blogging again!

I am really looking forward to start a new season of life when I examine all I have to work on that I never could before. I have plenty of projects to finish and lists to check off. Focusing on what has worked over the years and tweaking it to run more efficiently is the plan.

Last fall, my gardening friends and I took a trip to visit the Dallas Arboretum. Talk about inspiration to try new things! Since its local for us, I can take good information away from there about what plants will grow in my area. It saves both time and money when you consider this. Sometimes its not that you are a bad gardener, but you have chosen plants that are not suited for your climate. Even the arboretums have trial gardens for this very purpose. They test plants to see what will thrive and what will not.

I like to look at my own garden experience through that same lens. I run my own trials per say. Choosing the right plants under ideal conditions can vary from yard to yard. Micro-climates, pests, flooding, wind etc can make a difference. I will get into the details of my own experiences and changes here soon. Good times are ahead and I am looking forward to a "fresh start."

We try to include plants and trees around our home that are both super easy to grow and also add some level of use for beneficial insects. One of our favorites we added three years ago was a Vitex tree.

Vitex Vitex agnus-castus also known by Chaste Tree, Lilac Chaste Tree and Monk's Pepper -Its hardy from Zone 6a-9b and can grow up to 20 ft tall. It likes full sun to partial shade and is grown for its nice foliage. If the tree is dead-headed it will encourage more blooms later in the season Its drought tolerant and suitable for xeriscaping. BUT, what sold us on it was the fact we saw how nicely it grew in the grassy median of the interstate not too far from us. If the tree could survive there, we knew it was the tree for us.