Browsing at my neighborhood garden center for a special Mother’s Day plant, I notice the pink and purple/lilac flower clusters of Hydrangeas strategically placed at the entrance. I’m impressed by their gorgeous petal ‘bombs’ and think that this old stand-by would probably wow my host, too.

But then a thought steels itself into my mind: How long will my gift decorate my host’s table?  Will she throw it away when the bloom is over, or will she plant it? This frilly one wants much more water than our rainfall provides, and many of our local micro-climates and soils are anything but easy on it. The farther away from the coast it grows, the sooner it will require shading from the hot afternoon sun, and then it wants coddling with acid-forming fertilizer to keep its color, and regular and pricey water.

Matilija Poppy

As landscape designer San Diego that practices xeriscape landscaping and sustainability, I love plants that wow me AND have a good ROI, that are attractive low maintenance plants for the low water landscape. Check out these:

A Matilija Poppy Romneya coulteri  in full bloom makes your jaw drop, and bloom is now starting, right in time for Mother’s Day.  The fist-size flowers are carried atop 6-10 ft stems, for several weeks, exuding a strong fragrance of fresh apricots. This shrub needs no additional water once established; it fits into all zones except mountains and deserts, likes sun or partial shade, and is adaptable to all soils except those that drain poorly.  Establishment can be difficult, but once successful, it will send out underground stems in sandy or rocky soil and more slowly in clay soil and is thus difficult to contain. It is best planted along barely cultivated margins, on slopes as erosion control, in dry areas or along parkways. It should be cut down to a few inches above ground in fall to remove old foliage.

Consider also our native wild lilacs, the Ceanothus family that equally fit well into xeriscape designs. The members of this group can be evergreen groundcovers or small trees; some species have brilliant blue flowers, others range in hues of purple, violet and white. They keep their great form year-round, survive the greatest summer heat as true drought resistant plants; they make valuable contributions to any habitat garden by providing food (butterflies, insects, seeds) and cover.

Ray Hartman Ceanothus (Ceanothus arboreus) is striking with glistening green leaves, a height of up to 18 ft, and with rose-colored buds and profuse clusters of sky blue flowers. It grows reliably in both interior and coastal sites.

California natives bring a sense of heritage and a connection to the future; they have an incredible potential in all sorts of garden designs if we understand which plants perform in which conditions. With lots of different foliage, flower colors and textures they’ll make your garden interesting in all seasons, and with careful selection you can get year round color because some plant will be in bloom any time of the year. With little needs to additional water or maintenance they are choice candidates for the residential landscape design that satisfy us for years to come and have a high ROI.

For other exceptional non-native plants for drought resistant landscaping, see my previous posts on My favorite plants for Southern California , on Gardens Exciting and Alive – Year round,  Water-wise roses and more.

Check these links for recommended growing conditions, descriptions and sources:

Moosa Creek Nursery

Las Pilitas Nursery

Tree of Life Nursery

Theodore Payne Foundation

For most of us, the garden is the primary place where we connect with nature and reconnect with ourselves. Here’s where we unwind, drawn by the privacy of the space or a pretty view, either of a distant scenery or or of close-up plant beauties.  Here’s where we want to be touched by nature’s power;  our gardens are our oasis, where we recharge, remember how we played as children, and enjoy a living creation.

A chair placed close-up to contemplate the fountain, across from the kitchen window: This scene is very calming, whether seen from inside the house or from close-up.

When looking for relaxing garden ideas, consider this:  The space that we choose for our relaxation needs just to be big enough for a couple of chairs and perhaps a small table .  Where we place it depends on environmental factors or our lifestyles:  It could be in the backyard if it provides the privacy you need;  if the front yard is the shadier place when you’re likely to be home, the front yard landscape design needs to provide for the relaxation spot here.  It could also be in our side yard – if that is the only private space there is.

Before: Listless on arrival.

This front garden has a view, but nothing to mitigate the harsh sunlight, nothing to complement the forms of the house, nor does it invite to draw a chair to enjoy the view.

Placing the sitting area by the front door made most sense because it’s from here that the view is best.  However, it’s the plants – ornamental grasses, graceful trees and a variety of colorful xeriscape plants -  that make this garden come to life, and it’s here that you want to unwind.

The builder had placed both houses close together, and for the previous owner paving the entire space seemed right. Nothing mitigated the harsh glare from concrete and masonry; nothing was alive and made home-coming enticing.

Now this formerly dull entry passage is alive with lush yet xeric plants; it makes you say Ahh when coming home, to a place where moving foliage and varying textures and colors engage and relax the senses.  Delicate shrubs decrease the glare from the white walls and soften the forms of the masonry, add visual interest and welcome anybody who enters this patio.  Placing the raised containers at a 45 degree angle allowed to play with the spaces; as the hall-way feeling was broken up with plants and shapes, some sense of discovery and excitement was added.

Here, too, the front door area offers the place of choice to take a break and enjoy the late afternoon sun, the view and the occasional chat with neighbors who pass by.  Under the cover of the pergola, surrounded by long-flowering Red Valerian Centranthus ruber and Feathery Senna Cassia artemisioides, both xeriscape plants, resting is very enjoyable.

A private sitting area was added to this back garden; what better spot than under the canopy of a tree to place a chair and sit with a book?

It seems that it is never the material underfoot that matters, nor the size of the spot that we choose. What does matter it our preferred location, some sense of shelter and privacy (placed against a wall, under a pergola or a tree canopy), and the plants that create the interest up-close.  It’s the plants that relax us and make the space emotionally resonant, that give the garden a settled feeling, and make the formerly harsh or naked spaces inviting and friendly.  Wouldn’t you agree?

Living in San Diego, it’s easy to forget what winter looks like in other regions.  An occasional winter storm reminds me of how dreary and cold other places are right now, and that’s when I’m especially appreciative of a colorful plant scene, especially when I know that I will be enjoying it year round.

With so many plants calling ‘Buy me!” at every grocery store, let alone nursery and garden center, it’s easy to become tempted by the latest beautiful perennial or flowering shrub – only to discover that it was bred and grown in a cooler or wetter climate… To find a truly satisfying plant that rewards us with new excitement every time we see it takes a bit of research.

Here are a few successful plant combinations for low water landscaping that have worked very well for me. They excite me year-round with permanent textures, lasting colored foliage or structural form.  They give life and interest to my designs without creating a constant demand on water or maintenance which in our climate means mostly pruning or dead-heading.

The new roses  -  Low-water and low maintenance landscape plants, blooming almost non-stop

A different breed of roses is available to us in Southern California that we can enjoy year round.  Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras and other traditional roses  need much more water and are a sad sight in winter when they get pruned to sticks.  I’m talking about the new “landscape roses” that need much less water and flower almost year round with an array of colors that bring life to our landscapes.

These shrub roses and Floribundas need only the regular pruning like you would prune a Sage or Lavender; in order to keep them from getting sparse or out of control, cut out the woody and dead stuff, down to a new joint.  Depending on its appearance, pruning might sometimes only be necessary every other year.   (For sources and watering instructions, see my previous article about xeriscape landscaping with roses.)

Exciting succulents and creative combinations

Despite its tropical look, the large terrestrial bromeliad shown in this photo is remarkably un-thirsty:  Here in this garden, about 2 miles from the coast, it needs only (overhead) watering about every 10 days and makes therefore an attractive companion  to ‘fluffier’ low-water perennials  and succulents.

(Seen in this combination:  Vriesea imperialis, part shade/sun on coast only (can reach 4-5 ft);   Echeveria ‘Perle von Nuernberg’ , partial shade / sun on coast, 1-2 ft x same; Peruvian Lily Alstroemerias species, sun or part shade, to 18 inches high x same.)

The soft-tipped Foxtail Agave Agave attenuata is an attractive partner here of Euphorbia rigida.  Both love the dappled dry shade under my Live Oak; they can also tolerate full sun in Ramona; in even hotter gardens the Agave would prefer dappled shade. Both are drought resistant plants that belong into the xeriscape design. (How long these plants can go without any water  depends on exposure to the sun and soil type.  In my garden I water these every 2-3 weeks in mid summer.)

That the Euphorbia re-seeds itself is welcome in my garden where the gophers like to eat the parents  (are gophers in Ramona a different breed?)  So I always have a few new ones in waiting and the seedlings never overwhelm me.

(Seen in this combination: Euphorbia rigida:  to 2 ft x 2-3 ft ; sun or partial shade; little supplemental water.  Zones 4-24.   Foxtail Agave Agave attenuata:  2-3 ft x 4-5 ft;  sun or partial shade; little supplemental water. Protect from frost.)

Many water-wise perennials are perfect compliments to succulents, cacti and other desert species.  Here are the shrubby perennial Mexican Marigold Tagetes lemmonii, right, next to Aeonium “Purple Moon” and Aeonium Sunburst, that create a great scene.  The Marigold is one of many worthy desert plant species.

(Seen in this combination:  Mexican Marigold Tagetes lemmonii (also called Copper Canyon Daisy), 3-6 ft tall and wide; damaged by frost in open situations; cut back to correct shape. Full sun. Moderate to regular water.  Aeonium ‘Purple Moon’ partial shade to full sun; 1-2 ft tall/wide; Aeonium  Sunburst; to 18 inch high x 2 ft wide.  Both Aeoniums are drought resistant plants tolerating low to moderate water.  Partial shade in hottest areas; otherwise full sun. )

Sources:

Mexican Marigold:  easily available in many nurseries (f.e. Green Meadow Growers in  Bonsall, CA;

Aeoniums, Echeverias, Agaves, Vrieseas and other bromeliads:  : Rancho Soledad Nursery in Rancho Santa Fe, CA;

Roses :  Waterwise Botanicals, Escondido, CA.  (also many drought resistant perennials, shrubs, succulents, cacti, trees).

This drought resistant landscaping -  front and back – is lovingly planted with exuberant, dramatic greenery that is apleasure to care for.  Shady sitting areas, water play features for children and adults, and comfortable walkways made from beautiful materials invite year-round outdoor enjoyment. A stunning example of xeriscape design in San Diego.

Before

BEFORE: The front yard landscape design was a plant jumble that obscured the entrance to this modern home and darkened the front yard.

From the existing planting scheme we kept the palm trees as accents and overhead canopy.  To this we added terrestrial Bromeliads, Echeverias, Aeoniums and Agaves selected for their dramatic foliage, easy care and permanent allure.  A large Aloe bainesii, Bronze Loquats, Leucadendrons “Safari Sunset” and an exotic Trevisia palmata add weight in the mid-plane of the composition.

The flower bed designs show a plant combination that works well:  The Leucadendrons, Aechmeas and Vrieseas will need watering every 10 days or thereabouts (this of course after the establishment period). They’ll make good companions to the Agaves, Echeverias, Sedums and Coral Bells.

A sleek re-circulating fountain stands across from the window and can be viewed from inside.  A flat-topped boulder and a chair nearby invite to sit and watch the grandchildren play with the water.

This fountain was fabricated from naturally rusted cor-ten steel.  Water is pumped up from a subterranean reservoir into the fountain trough and sheets over its sides.

Although Peruvian Lilies and Iris provide a lot of color in the summer months, most of the visual interest is provided by the permanent textures and colors of foliage plants, as here by the Black Moon Aeonium, variegated Foxtail Agave, Dymondia Silver Carpet and Sedum kimnachii, all very fine drought xeriscape plants.

A flagstone path bisects the front garden, connecting the driveway to the front door and continuing around the house to the back garden. It allows viewing and exploring from all angles and increases the enjoyment of so many fascinating plants.

This xeriscape design in San Diego has become a garden with generous and exuberant greenery; there is just enough lawn for grandchildren and dog to play on.  A beautiful flagstone path invites strolling past Mexican Marigolds, ornamental grasses, Rock Purslane, Sundrops and Brazilian Coppertree, to name a few.

The sandbox was placed under the Jacaranda right next to the pergola, and a “splashing boulder” adds another attraction for children and adults. Now parents and children can enjoy their playtime in the comfort of these shady places.

The raised beds are holding Roses, Lavender, ornamental grasses and Irises of “her” collection as well as vegetables planted at their feet.  With careful placement and their own irrigation cycle no plant interferes with another, and all are doing well.

Fantastic succulents and cacti evoke a world of other-worldly marine creatures that was inspired by the “sea-scape” created at San Diego Botanic Garden by Jeff Moore, Owner of Solana Succulents. Red Octopus Aloe, Myers Asparagus Fern, Star Fish Aloe and Medusa Plant were set into two earthen mounds decorated with scree, lava rock and boulders to evoke a coral world populated with sea weeds, anemones and star fishes.

Partners in this project:  Mark Sterk of Columbine Landscape, Escondido, CA, one of the finest landscaping companies in San Diego, executed this project with a never-tiring attention to detail, creative problem solving and absolute dedication to quality performance. Rancho Soledad Nursery, Rancho Santa Fe, CA provided the “exotics” (Vrieseas, Aechmeas, Agaves, Echeverias). Green Meadow Growers in Bonsall, CA provided perennials and succulents. Solana Succulents provided the plants for the “sea scapes”. This is truly a breath taking example of xeriscape in San Diego.

As I explained in my last blog post, Southern California is a challenging environment for landscape designers. We certainly love to help our clients create lush gardens full of plant life, but we must also be aware of the garden’s water needs, especially in the face of the many years of drought we have suffered in Southern California.

I’ve met many homeowners who are looking to develop more water-conscious landscapes in their front yard and backyard but don’t know where to begin. Many worry that drought-resistant = a backyard filled with cacti. Not true!

There are plenty of beautiful plants that thrive in a desert environment. Below is a list of some of my favorite drought-resistant plants. Each one of these plants can provide life and color to your front or back yard without requiring a lot of water or maintenance.

Mulga  Acacia aneura

Description: The Mulga is an evergreen shrub whose canopy can extend to the ground, and can thus be used as screening plant.  It can easily be trained into a small, umbrella-shaped tree that slowly grows to a height of 18 or 20 feet spreading to about 15 feet.

 Why I Like It: I love the Mulga for its graceful appearance. It comes into bloom in spring, and its canopy of silvery-gray leaves contrast prettily with its yellow flowers. When in full bloom, this tree stands out as an attractive accent plant in any desert landscape.

 Maintenance:  Prune to shape as needed.

Grevillea ‘Winpara Gem’

Description: This handsome, large shrub is a fast grower in well-drained, alkaline soils. It likes full sun and partial shade and is drought tolerant once established.  It can reach up to 10 feet with variable width.

Why I Like It: The Grevillea it is an attractive shrub with upwards reaching branches, clothed with gray-green leaves. It carries bright red flowers at the branch tips that attract bees and hummingbirds.  The heaviest flowering occurs in late fall/early winter and lasts over several weeks with intermittent blooms throughout the year. With its size, the Greviillea makes an attractive screening shrub or handsome accent in coastal or inland plantings.

 Maintenance:  Prune to shape as needed;   give it occasional deep watering

Trailing Buttercups (also called Sundrops), Calylophus hartwegii

 Description: This must-have perennial thrives in hot, dry locations. It is native to the western region and reminds me of Evening Primrose with bright yellow, four-petaled flowers against narrow, ferny leaves.  Trailing Buttercups are low growers and spread out about two feet. Flowering reaches its peak in the summer, and depending on location, takes a rest in late summer to re-bloom again in fall.

Why I Like It: I like this plant because of its toughness and versatility. Once it’s established, the Trailing Buttercup can tolerate a great deal of drought and can also take regular water if drainage is good.

Maintenance:  Give Trailing Buttercups occasional deep watering ; cut back hard (down to about 3-4 inch) in late winter to prevent it from getting sparse and sprawling.

The Ghost Plant, Graptopetalum paraguyense  

Description: The Ghost Plant is not nearly as scary as its name implies. This clumping succulent grows up to seven inches high and produces branching stems, which will spread indefinitely (though slowly, making it easy to control).  Plants will turn gray-blue when grown in shade and gray with a twinge of pink in full sun, with sprays of white or yellow flowers in spring. With its gray-blue fleshy leaves, the Ghost Plant provides a nice contrast in color, texture and form with many other plants and combines well with perennials and taller shrubs. The Ghost Plant is suitable as a groundcover in areas without foot traffic, as filler in rock gardens, or as spiller from hanging baskets and pots.

Why I Like It: I don’t know which aspect of this plant is more endearing, its elegance, low water needs, extremely low maintenance requirements, ability to fit into different design types, low height and handy size, or its readiness to grow from leaves, stems or divisions.

 Maintenance:  Don’t overwater; nip or prune to control spread; plant broken stems to multiply your Ghost Plant.

As a landscape designer in San Diego County, one of my greatest concerns when approaching a new project is water usage. We live in a desert region and have experienced years of drought. As the population of our state continues to grow, our limited water resources will become more and more strained.

One of the ways we can cut back on water usage is with Xeriscape designs.

Xeriscape is a landscape design method that focuses on reducing water usage. This can be accomplished by planting climate-friendly, water-efficient plants, updating to more efficient irrigation methods,  putting down water-trapping mulch and more.

Xeriscape is a very high priority for me. I believe in planting for the existing environment, not in spite of it. It is painful to see some homeowners and institutions who insist on creating lush, water-gulping gardens that need constant care in order to survive a harsh environment, especially when there are plenty of beautiful, healthy plants that can thrive with much less water.

Fortunately, many homeowners are beginning to make water conservation a priority. For these homeowners, low water landscaping can provide a beautiful result, cut back significantly on water usage and save water costs each month. Along with proper selection and placement of plants, xeriscapes can also significantly reduce maintenance expense.

There is no singular strategy behind creating a xeriscape design. Rather, there are many different tactics that can be applied depending on the homeowner’s goal, design tastes and the specific features of their yard.

Here are some common xeriscape tactics:

• Drought-Resistant Plants: Use climate-friendly plants  -  California natives or plants from other Mediterranean climates.  There is an incredible array of plants that thrive in Southern California’s dry environment.
• Soil-Plant Balance: Soil has a lot of do with water capture and retention. In a xeriscape, we use plants that match the characteristics of the soil.  In some cases it’s advisable to improve the soil characteristics.
• Mulch:  Mulch allows water to percolate into the soil beneath, shades the soil and helps keep plant roots moist and cool; it improves soil structure for better nutrient and water retention. Mulch can be made from wood chips, plant grindings, gravel, rocks and many other substances, making it a versatile material that can complement different landscape designs.
• Efficient Irrigation: There are a variety of irrigation methods that can improve water utility. Personally, I recommend drip irrigation, a process where water is fed directly to each plant rather than sprayed across a wide area. Other water-saving irrigation methods include adjusting sprinklers each season or installing rain sensors that shut down sprinklers during or after rain. There are also automated irrigation controllers available that tap into state-wide climate data and calculate the necessary amount of irrigation water.
• Plant-Zone Balance: Every yard includes zones where the sun and shade differ throughout the day. As a designer, I like to map out these different “hydrozones” and recommend plants that prefer those specific environments. For instance, I would recommend sun-loving drought-tolerant plants for areas of the yard that get a lot of sun and heat during the day.

All-in-all, xeriscaping is an important part of what I do as a landscape designer. It feels good to put together gardens and yard designs that honor Southern California’s dry environment and help protect our precious water resources.

When you look into your front yard and backyard what do you see? A beautiful, sweeping vista of plants and colors or just a big pool surrounded by plain grass?

Think about how much time and effort you spent decorating your house; turning it into a unique place that reflects your tastes and preferences. Your front and back yards deserve a similar treatment. If you’ve just got a carpet of grass with little or no landscaping, you are missing out on what could be an amazing, dramatic and relaxing extension of your home.

It’s time to get in touch with your inner plantsmanship.

What’s plantsmanship? It’s a character trait that involves the celebration of plants. A grass yard or a yard completely taken up by a pool and barbeque doesn’t present a colorful, texturized environment. Plants add these features. They also help express your unique character and bring your yard to life, literally!

Throughout my many years as a landscape designer in San Diego County, I’ve found so many ways to use different plants to design a front or backyard retreat homeowners enjoy spending time in. Trees can cast shade, succulents provide color and require little maintenance and water.  Bamboo can add dimensional texture as well as a natural privacy wall.

These are just a few examples of how plants can help homeowners design their yards with purpose. This is plantsmanship.

How do you get plantsmanship? It’s easy. Just open your eyes and start looking around you. You’ll begin to notice the plants in your neighbor’s yards and how they function in the overall design of the yard. Ask your neighbors the names of the plants you like and then do a basic Google search to learn more about what environment the plant requires, how much maintenance it needs to thrive and how it grows.

If you live in San Diego or Southern California, it’s especially important to learn about the water needs of a plant before you put it in your backyard garden. You’ll most likely want to look into drought-resistant plants, which will require less water and maintenance.

Take some time and gather information naturally. I also recommend that you visit a local botanical garden and a local nursery to get even more ideas and great information. I volunteer at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon and love answering questions.

Once you feel your plantsmanship growing (pun intended), it’s time to start planting. Begin with a small project, maybe just one side of the house and see how it goes. As you gain more confidence and a better understanding of how outdoor design works, you might want to take on your whole yard.

If that seems too intimidating, you can always call a landscape designer like myself to help you create something truly magical. Landscape designers are experts at helping homeowners turn a plain yard into a destination full of color and natural beauty.

Tune into your plantsmanship, and go out and make your yard beautiful!

A traditional "zero-scape"

Congratulations to Jeanie and Lee in Scripps Ranch, for their resolve and their love of plants.  Going from a lawn-centered “zero-scape” to a garden alive with xeriscape plants with beautiful colors and textures, and doing this with their own landscape ideas and muscle power demands respect.

Hoping to qualify for San Diego’s rebates for turfgrass removal and the installation of a micro-irrigation system, they discussed the how-to with a City inspector and put a design together.  Here’s where Jeanie called me in to review her design and desired plants.

Lawn gone

Assessing soil, micro-climate and the slightly sloping terrain I found that her wish list had excellent “bones” in it that needed few adjustments.

Almost finished

The permanent features to remain were the concrete turf edge, the edged planter beds and the palm trees (they would have their own irrigation). I recommended importing several large boulders which would help “ground” the landscape.

To add volume where the palm trees are only accents I suggested a couple of small trees, on both sides of the house;  here Jeanie chose 2 ‘Catawba’ Crape Myrtles, one of them a multi-trunk specimen.

As we were fine-tuning her design and discussed longer-blooming low maintenance plants,  Jeanie said that she likes to garden and is not averse to some maintenance, such as deadheading the Early Sunrise Coreopsis periodically to encourage new bloom.

Early Sunrise Coreopsis

I explained that Gazania would not be attractive long enough during the seasons. Instead I suggested Ghost Plant Graptopetalum paraguayense, an elegant, slowly spreading succulent whose grey-pinkish rosettes would make a pleasing connection with Coreopsis, Walker’s Low Catmint and Gaura, all on Jeanie’s list of favorites.

Catmint Walker's Low

Ghost Plant

For a captivating contrast to the frilly perennials we added several Foxtail Agave A. attenuata and ornamental grasses; for me the grasses are matchless in adding a relaxed and naturalistic, almost mysterious feeling to the landscape.  Here Jeanie picked a short Purple Fountain-grass variety in a local nursery.

Airy Purple Fountain Grass

Complimenting the drought resistant plants would be a  Dwarf Yaupon Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’ that I hadn’t used myself.  My research showed that it might need a bit more water than the other plants, but Jeanie wanted to give it a try.  This shrub, at 3-5 ft high/wide, develops a refined, attractive appearance with careful pruning  -  a task that she looks forward to.

Completed

And the cost?  Jeanie and Lee invested about $3,200 on materials plus $1,200 on labor to help Lee; the rebates should amount to about $1,070.  Not bad for a diy landscape that can save them 60 to 70% water and is so pleasing to look at.  As one of their friends exclaimed who came by and admired their achievement: “This front yard is so much alive!”

Read about the City’s rebate program:  http://www.sandiego.gov/water/conservation/residentialoutdoor.shtml

Tom Jesch's water-wise roses at Carmel Mountain Plaza San Diego

“Drought tolerant”, “desert plant species”, “drought resistant landscaping” – that’s not for me, you might think: Giving up on your roses might be a thought too painful to contemplate. And what you have heard about xeriscape designs seems to be a lot of “zero-scape” to you… Roses are thirsty – aren’t they?

I noticed the water-drop symbol by the names of many roses at WATER WISE BOTANICALS in Escondido (formerly Daylily Hill).  That meant that these are “water-wise” – what are these roses about?

Tom Jesch of WaterWise Botanicals explained to me that we can indeed create a lush yet water-wise garden without depriving ourselves of these beauties.  Have you ever noticed, along old highways in California, old abandoned farmhouses that still have a large rose bush clambering up its side? Nobody has cared for it in decades, and yet it still thriving. So what’s the secret?

The right selection

At Waterwise Botanicals, the roses with the water-drop symbol are the best of their shrub roses- those that flower the best, are most durable and the most water-wise.
English and Austin roses tend to be less water-wise, as well as many of the older European, double and heavily petaled varieties, or ones that have a growth characteristic very similar to Hybrid Teas.

Nearly Wild

The right establishment

For the first 2 weeks after planting: Water your roses almost every day, and deeply; thus they get their roots down deeply. Add extra nitrogen fertilizer for the first 3-6 months to develop lush foliage.

For the next weeks/lasting 2-3 months: Go to a deep watering schedule: 2 days on, 2 days off, 1 day on, 1 day off, and then repeat that cycle. It’s the repeated deep watering that gets the roots deep so that eventually the watering cycle can be stretched.

After 2-3 months: Go to a cycle that is 2 days on (or 2 cycles on 1 day, 1 morning/1 evening), then 5-6 days off; repeat cycle.

If you keep this schedule for the first 1-2 years (consider also how dry your weather is; wet winters speed up the establishment of your plants) you will have established roses that can do very well by receiving a good deep watering (two days in a row, or twice in one day) and then off, for up to 10 days or more, during the hottest part of the summer, in most California coastal, and coastal inland valleys.

For your next project, consider these (these look more like Rockroses without their early demise and unruly spread):

Rose Nearly Wild  (see above);   height 2’ by 3’ spread; hardy to -15° . Full to part sun.  Rose pink, white center blooms during spring to fall.

Sharon's Delight

Rose Sharon’s Delight.  Height 2′ , width 3′.  Hardy to -15°; full to part sun. White blooms during spring to fall.

Visit the fabulous demonstrations gardens and naturalistic pond at WaterWise Botanicals, and see many more exciting roses at www.waterwisebotanicals.com