He's had to learn how to create a good-looking garden that thrives through heat and drought and has some advice that can help all of us.
PANAYOTI KELAIDIS
Director of Horticulture Outreach, Denver Botanic Gardens
RIGHT PLANT, RIGHT PLACE For starters, Panayoti suggests doing an inventory of your yard with an eye out for microclimates. Make sure you're growing drought-tolerant plants in the driest spots and not trying to baby something along that isn't happy there. You might find dry microclimates at the top of a slope or even in the shade of shallow-rooted trees. Most common are spots near driveways, house foundations or retaining walls, where heat from the sun is often reflected onto the garden. Panayoti likes to say that the north side of his house is like Alaska, and the south side is like Arizona. He grows ferns and woodland plants on the north side, while xeric plants make their home on the hot, dry Arizona side. If a plant is struggling, it's probably not in the right place.
HOW PLANTS TOLERATE DROUGHT Characteristics that help plants through dry times include large, thick or fleshy root systems and leaves that are slender, succulent, waxy or fuzzy.
Prairie plants, such as little bluestem, purple coneflower and cup plant, grow roots deep into the soil to seek out moisture. Fleshy bulbous roots or bulbs of all types, including the foxtail lily at right and the woody rhizomes of bearded iris, store water. Small-leaved herbs, such as lavender, rosemary and fennel, are able to withstand long periods without rain.
Meet a few of Panayoti's favorite drought-tolerant perennials on the next page some of them might surprise you!
Foxtail lily
Eremurus spp. and hybrids
Esta historia es de la edición Issue 172 - August 2023 de Garden Gate.
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Esta historia es de la edición Issue 172 - August 2023 de Garden Gate.
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Spinach - Learn the secrets to growing this tasty green in spring and fall.
If you're one of those gardeners who can't wait to get started in spring and hates to throw in the trowel in fall, spinach is the perfect shoulder season crop. This mild, earthy-flavored green comes in many varieties, ranging from crinkly-leafed savoys to slightly textured semi-savoys and the flat, smooth-leafed types. Colors can be dark green, light green and even red-veined. Here's how to get the most of it every year.
Why Bulb Depth Matters - Dig deep enough to ensure your plants stand tall and live the longest
When you're planting bulbs, it's tempting to just dig a hole as deep as your trowel will reach easily, nestle the bulb in, cover it up and move on. But the fact is, each type of bulb will flower best and thrive at a different depth.A good rule of thumb is to plant a bulb two to three times its height. One reason planting depth is important is because it helps to keep the bulbs protected from fluctuations in temperature that happen closer to the surface.
GARDEN ESSENTIALS
FALL GARDEN CLEANUP TOOLS
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Saving flower seeds is a great way to get more plants with almost no investment. It's easy to do. Here's how to save seeds from some of your favorite annuals as the growing season winds down.
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I watched cucumber trellis growers online for several seasons with envy. What a brilliant way to save space in raised garden beds and make it look fancy! Finally, I was sold and decided to try it in my garden.
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