Street Parks Workshop: my plant recommendations

On Saturday July 22nd I'm speaking at the Parks Alliance's Street Parks Workshop on the topic of water wise planting. Join us if you're interested in learning how to make your own street park!

The plants I'll be recommending that are tough as nails in this area are:

• Achillea millefolium - Yarrow
• Aeoniums 
• Agapanthus  
• Agaves 
• Aloes  
• Artemisia 
• Bromeliads - Puyas and Dyckias  
• Calandrinia spectabilis – Rock Purslane 
• Chasmanthe  
• Cordylines 
• Cortaderia – Pampas Grass  
• Cotyledon orbiculata 
• Cynara cardunculus - Cardoon  
• Dudleya 
• Echiums  
• Euphorbias
• Ice Plants
• Leonotis leonurus – Wild Dagga   
• Limonium perezii – Sea Lavender
• Natives 
• Opuntias
• Phlomis
• Romneya coulteri - Matilija Poppy
• Salvias
• Santolinas
• Stachys byzantina - Lamb's Ears
• Stipa tenuissima - Feather Grass 
• Yuccas 

Of course there are lots more, but these are some of my easy to grow, zero water favorites. Read the Plant Profiles of many of these plants by clicking here to learn more about them.

Neighborly Business

Marcus + cardoon

I wasn't expecting a big workday due to Impending American Holiday on the 4th, but the day was sunny and warm so I trundled over to the garden expecting to work alone. Then, funnily enough, the first person to show up at the garden was a Brit - Marcus who lives in the building next to our place on 17th.

He got down to work on the Annual Weeding of the Bottom of the Steps, which is a treacherous undertaking due to brambles, cacti, Agaves and other spiky stuff lying in wait on a steep slope. usually it involved getting a bit scratched up, and minorly inconveniencing the brambles who are impossible to kill. but we do need to stop them getting too cocky on a regular basis.

Achillea (Yarrow)

We were soon joined by Amanda and she got down to some Chasmathe cutting-back and clearing dead leaves off the Amaryllis belladonna bulbs - watch out for the bit pink flowers popping out of those soon. I didn't get a pic of Amanda but here's the Achillea she was weeding around so neatly.

I noted again that the compost bins are beyond overflowing. It's time for a debris box so we can start over with turning the compost every single workday otherwise compost doesn't break down quickly enough and we end up with just heaps of weeds.