This is our latest attempt at landscaping. Gary was able to get some free rocks from some friends in Pinon Hills. The Kayser boys, along with some other young men from church, used their muscles and built this "retaining" wall. During the past two weeks, George Kayser has been planting rosemary and periwinkle on the hillside. We chose rosemary because rabbits won't eat it, and we chose periwinkle because it spreads quickly as a ground cover and is good at erosion control. The picture above is of the side of the yard that faces north.
The picture above is of the side that faces west--the area we call the "backyard". We are still searching the local nursery to find plants that will do well on a west-facing slope that is mainly shaded by a tree--and is resistant to rabbits! Any ideas?
Toni asked me, Dan, what suggestions I might have, having been a landscape designer before. My first suggestion is(was) to roam around and see what's growing locally. I remember the yucca and the ceanothus in the area. Sunflowers abound there as well. Since you've already had good luck with an aromatic herb why not try a few more. Oregano and mint make good ground covers that root as they grow. Thyme and lavender may also be unpalatable to them also.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought just occurred to me. If you have a copy of Sunset Western Garden Book you could look up deer resistant plants and you'll probably have a lot of cross-over genera in there as well.
Buy small sizes of plants initially and only plant a few to test them out.
How's that for starters?