All the Dirt on Gardening

There are 250 Veronica varieties including annuals, perennials, shrubs and sub-shrubs. Some grow in water and others grow on rocky hills but most grow in gardens with a minimum of care. The rock garden Veronicas do well in poor, well-drained soil in full sun and border Veronicas grow best in moderately fertile sunny locations. The primary problem gardeners have with Veronicas is that soggy soil makes them vulnerable to root rot, leaf scale and mildew.   Take care that they receive plenty of sun and are not over or under watered. Veronica Waterperry Blue 5/13 Veronica peduncularis is a mat-forming, low-growing, group of ground covers, ideal for stepping stones and growing over the edge of rock or brick planters. A 4-inch nursery pot will spread by rhizomes into a 1-foot square area in the first year. It is one of the plants recently called “step-able” because it can take some foot traffic. Two water-wise walkable groundcovers are 2-inch tall Veronica liwanensis, T...

These red tulips are planted in clusters across the front of our yard and have come back three years now. They are a visual treat every time. The spring this year is great compared with last year! Remember that we had already experienced drought and record breaking heat by this time last year. The lack of rain is worrisome, though. In addition to the usual sprinkling of the seed beds, we have started watering the flowering fruit trees to make sure they have enough moisture to produce fruit. If your thoughts are turning to water-wise plants, take a look at the High Country Gardens online catalog for some beautiful xeriscape ideas. Xeriscape sometimes implies that you have a desert garden in Phoenix or Albuquerque, but even water-wise gardens in Oklahoma do well with these types of plants. Waterwise plants include sage, salvia , asters, agastache , achillea , grasses, penstemon . It is important to group these low-water plants together. If they are mixed in the same bed with thirsty ...