The Real Dirt

If you are starting a list of plants to put in the ground this fall, you might want to add a salvia or two. With just under 1000 varieties, Salvia is the largest genus in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Commonly known as sages, Salvias come in a dizzying variety of forms and colors.

You've seen these terms often: drought tolerant and water-wise. For water conservation and sustainable gardening, Master Gardeners recommend plants that are adapted to the long, hot, dry summers of the Mediterranean climate.

Native plants give us a sense of where we are in this great land of ours. I want Texas to look like Texas and Vermont to look like Vermont. Lady Bird Johnson (First Lady of the United States as the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1963 1969). Plants define the landscape.

This Fall we are offering over a dozen workshops. We have quite a few new topics on tap, as well as a timely four-part series on Landscaping with Fire.

The on-going drought is leading many gardeners in our area to include drought-tolerant plants in their gardens, or even design wholly drought-tolerant landscapes. Here are some tips for selecting, planting and caring for plants that prefer dry conditions.