The fence and streetside

Happy June - is it really here already? On my last post, I shared some photos of the front garden. Here is a slight extension of that - outside the fence and along the street. I call this area the "hellstrip" although technically, it is not a separate entity, just more of the border.

This area is seen by many but rarely by ourselves except when going to the mailbox. There are often people walking by and since there is a school right at the end of our street, we see lots of school kids walking to and from school. 

I've tried to keep the plantings here low-growing and although there is a soaker hose covering some of the area, most of the plants were selected for drought tolerance. This area is also in full sun all day long.

Junipers 'Daub's Frosted' anchors each side of the strip and dotted and repeated in between are some ornamental grasses (Pennisetum 'Hameln' and Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'), spirea, and one California Lilac (Ceanothus 'Vandenberg').

Perennials have done well too although I have lost a few Yarrow (Achillea 'Terra Cotta') - how does one kill a yarrow? I blame the dense shade of Ceanothus 'Julia Phelps' as well as planting them in the middle of summer. Still, only one or two died. Surprisingly, geraniums have performed well here too. I have large drifts of both 'Rozanne' and Geranium cantabrigense 'Jans' planted in large drifts. Salvia nemerosa 'Carradonna', a fabulous plant, flanks the gate entrance.

Another odd choice for this area were two 'Spring Bouquet' viburnums which have been absolutely beautiful but I don't know what I was thinking when putting them here. So far, no pruning has been required and they seem to not mind the sun at all.

There are a few roses although actually only one planted in the strip itself. It is 'Robin Hood', the rose we loved in our Alabama garden. Oddly, this one (which I found at Annie's Annuals) looks slightly  different in color and behavior. I haven't investigated the matter fully but think it must be due to different climates. The other roses spill over from the other side of the fence ('Lady of Shallot', 'Radway Sunrise' and 'Don Juan')

A few groundcovers - mainly thyme - fill in along the edges. A great groundcover and one that I just discovered is California Fuchsia (Zauschneria septentrionalis 'Select Mattole'). Drought tolerant, continuous bloom and hummingbird loving, this is a winner. Although Santolina ericoides looked fantastic in its first year, there was so much die-back over the winter that I removed it this year. I plan to add some orange 'Profusion' zinnias this year.

Zauschneria septentrionalis 'Select Mattole'

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy