xeriscape designs Archives - Christiane Holmquist Landscape Design

The Eye-Catching Bromeliad – No Tenderfoot in the Drought Resistant Landscape

August 30, 2013 By Christiane Homquist 4 Comments

In my previous post I wrote about terrestrial bromeliads, a group of plants that can make beautiful, even majestic attention-grabbers in your garden while being perfect companions to many drought resistant plants. Their form, foliage and colors lend themselves very well to be paired with succulents, cacti and other low water plants in the sustainable landscape design.

Bromeliads can be attractive specimen in the difficult areas of your garden, such as in hot reflected light or one that hardly sees any as on the north side of a house, under the eaves.

With this ability to do double-duty they can therefore be a great help with the tough spots when you design your landscape.

They all prefer these growing conditions:

Good drainage
Overhead watering
Full sun or partial to full shade
Frost resistant to about 20°
Resistant to salt spray
Low in fertilizer needs (which will speed up the growth at the expense of some of the leaf color; in general it will make the leaves greener)
Moderate watering: overhead; 1x/week, sometimes more in hot weather (or hotter location, as an inland valley); 1x/month in cooler areas

Some noteworthy peculiarities of the bromeliads:

Most of the bromeliads that people grow only bloom a single time; some re-bloom. (The process is explained in detail at the site of the Bromeliad Society International.)

However, it can take years before they reach maturity and bloom; some produce flowers that stay on the plant for months or even years. Some grow “pups” or “offsets” before bloom; others grow these after the mother plant is done blooming and can now direct “her” energy into producing pups (some bromeliads also grow seeds). So for the one mother plant, you’ll probably end up with between 2 and 5 smaller plants once bloom has finished,.

These offsets can be cut or dug up and re-potted. For some of the bromeliads, especially the larger Vrieseas, I’d suggest to buy a larger plant to replace the mother plant as it take a few years until the offsets have reached the parent’s size..”.

Here now are the ‘toughies’ that I was talking about and see whether you can’t find one that would bring pizzazz to your garden.

The Vriesea imperialis in bloom is an unforgettable sight.

The Vriesea imperialis (now classified as Alcantarea) is regal bromeliad with leathery, green strappy leaves with a deep wine-red tinge to it that intensifies in the sun. It is spectacular plant even when not in bloom because of its perfect form that relies solely on its rosette, and is as such a good companion to a modern/contemporary design.

It will develop, with several years of growth, a giant rosette, 4 to 5 ft large. It can tolerate full sun, even in my Ramona valley, but also tolerates partial shade. (When the temps reach 100 ° consistently, it’s better to give it afternoon protection.)

When it has reached its mature size which can take several years, it produces a giant inflorescence (flower stalk) that reaches up to 10 ft into the air and lingers for 4-5 months.

The New Zealand site “Bromeliads online” says about the Vriesea imperialis:

“In the garden these stately plants are easy to grow and trouble free. They will grow in virtually any soil, but prefer free draining soil. Application of fertiliser will certainly get them growing faster and bigger, but a reduction in leaf colour in the red types may result. They are completely resistant to salt spray and wind, coping with near cyclone conditions even when planted in an exposed position. They are surprisingly cold hardy, coping with up to frosts of several degrees. However young plants may be frost burnt. Full sun produces the best leaf colour and form, even with the green types. In tropical conditions some burning may occur in the middle of summer, but in temperate climates burning is rare, unless the plants have not been acclimatised before planting out.”

Here are more bromeliads for the full sun:

Neoregelia compacta

Neoregelia ‘Fireball’

More bromeliads for the sun are the red Neoregelia ‘compacta’ and Neoregelia ‘Fireball’; they won’t get bigger than 1-2 ft wide and tall, and it’s the sun that brings out their red coloration, but they can also tolerate partial shade (which will make them greener).

Neoregelia pauciflora

Neoregelia pauciflora is nice and apple green that stays the same in sun or shade in cooler/more moderate climates; in a hot inland valley it will probably prefer the dappled shade under a tree – you might find it’s worth a try in your location.

For these bromeliads applies that the sun brings out their coloration. They can reach up to 2 ft across, spreading slowly by “offsets” (called “pups” with succulents) their flowers are short in the cup. They have most spectacular colorful foliage.

Aechmea blanchetiana

The Aechmea blanchetiana is a striking one with its apple-green foliage forming a rosette, up to 2-3 ft tall and 3-4 ft wide, slowly widening. Its “sister’ Aechmea blanchetiana ‘Tangerine’ will intensify its orange hues with more sun exposure.

Aechmea cv. ‘Prietro’

The Aechmea cv. ‘Prietro’ is a bromeliad with almost black foliage black that produces striking orange red flowers. This would make a great companion to purple or chartreuse and yellow succulents, and it likes the full sun. Size: smallish, 15-18 inches tall, by 18×18 inches wide.

Aechmea comata ‘Lemon Lime’

Aechmea comata ‘Lemon Lime‘: This is one that can take any exposure and has the perfect size of 2-3 ft x 2-3 ft.

Aechmea recurvata

Aechmea recurvata, another one for the sun, short 1-2 f x 1-2 ft. Beautiful and striking when planted in masses.

Bilbergia Baton Rouge

The Bilgerbia Baton Rouge is one for the worst sites: heat (even reflected), sunny. It can therefore be easily paired with cacti and some succulents. It will grow with vase-shaped rosettes that are about 12 inches across and to 24-30″ tall, and will slowly form an ever widening clump.

SHADE bromeliads

Vriesea sanguinolenta

The Vriesea sanguinolenta is also a stately plant. This one prefers the dappled shade. It can grow to 3 x 3 ft.

Vriesea fosteriana

The Vriesea fosteriana is another interesting one,with its marbled strappy leaves. It forms a rosette to 2-3 ft large.

Neoregelia ‘Magic Star Mint’

Here’s one that can do both: Shade or sun. Is the modest sized Neoregelia ‘Magic Star Mint’. Its size is 1-2 ft x 1-2 ft (with slowly ever widening clumps).

Dyckia fosteriana hybrid ‘Brittlestar’

From the Bromeliad family: Dyckia fosteriana hybrids ‘Brittlestar‘. It’s suitable for bright light, full sun or shade. Dyckias are succulents from the bromeliad family that form small clumps to about 8 inches by 8 inches, slowly widening, that bloom with orange flowers on a 2-3 upright, slightly branching inflorescence (here: flower stalk). With stiff and thorny leaves, prefer rocky and/or sunny areas and have a natural tendency to clump leading to thick, large mats. It’s cold hardy to 20-25 °.

Don’t forget that all these bromeliads are un-demanding in their water-needs and fit beautifully into xeriscape designs.

I thank Eric from Rancho Soledad and deeply appreciate his generous help with this article!

Xeriscape Design: Hot and lush yet waterwise – Tropical look-alikes for an arid land (Part II)

August 19, 2012 By Christiane Homquist 2 Comments

With their striking structural forms, masses of large leaves or finely cut foliage, and hot flamboyant flowers tropical plants create a lush look evocative of paradises far away. To some it’s wasteful to create tropical gardens in our desert scape, and they might even feel that tropicals don’t “fit” here.

I’m not in favor of creating landscapes that evoke the tropics – it’s too difficult to ignore the ever-present Eucalyptus or the native Chaparral on our dry mesas or in our boulder-rich foothills. I love the California native landscape, and I love desert plant species and Mediterranean plants. However, in the hottest months many of the gardens that are landscaped with drought tolerant plants look drab and lifeless. Perhaps it’s due to a fine layer of dust… or the summer dormancy of our drought resistant plants. For those of us who want to add a bit more ‘spice’ to our bleached-out gardens here are more “wanna-be tropicals”. They’ll add hot, energizing color and lush foliage, yet as drought tolerant plants fit into a true xeriscape San Diego style. (See my previous blog post about this subject.)

Aloe rudikoppe ‘Little Gem’

This tough succulent produces beautiful orange, exotic waxy flowers year round, in contrast to many other Aloes. It’s superb also for its toughness as it can tolerate regular water to dry conditions and thrives even on the northside of buildings where it never gets any direct sun. 1 ft 6 inch height, spread 2 ft; hardy to 25F.

Bougainvillea Torch Glow

As a shrub that slowly grows 6 to 7 ft tall and 5 ft wide this Bougainvillea is more adaptable to smaller gardens than its rambling brethren. With hot pink flowers for most of the year it can be paired with succulents, tropical looking plants or desert gardens as it is very drought tolerant once established. Hardy to the mid 20s.

Daylily Black Suave adds a great color highlight to the gardem

This is a wonderful highlight of color in the garden with deep red, luxurious flowers. Height about 1½ ft by width 1½ ft. In massing it would have a great impact. Blooms in spring and again in fall. A good technique to coax it into re-bloom and remove spent leaf blades is to cut the whole plant about 6 inches above ground when the first flush of flowers is gone.

Sweetshade makes a tropical looking appearance in the xeriscape landscape.

Sweetshade Hymenosporum flavum produces sweet fragrance and adds tropical flair.

When in bloom in early summer, this evergreen tree is quite showy with yellow fragrant flowers against glossy green leaves. It has an open, graceful upright habit and can reach a height of 20 to 40 ft and a spread of 20 ft. It likes sun to partial shade, well-drained soil and is water-wise. Early pruning will result in a stronger, denser plant.

Rose Cherry Bomb adds an explosion of color to the low water landscape

This rose is perhaps a perfect stand-in for Hibiscus without its problems of mildew or whiteflies… It produces sweet rosy red, 2-3 inch single-petaled blossoms with ruffled edges, on beautiful bronze/dark green disease resistant foliage. Approximately 5 – 6′ tall and wide. Flowers most of the year with nice hips in winter; full to part sun, and hardy to -15 F.

Tupidanthus is surprisingly versatile and even moderate in its water needs

With glossy, evergreen foliage and a very tropical flare, this shrub can grow to 30+ feet in height and can be trained into a single trunk tree. Stems produce bright green, palmate lobed leaves that slope down. Loves the sun or partial shade, and medium water. Hardy to 28 degrees

It surprised me to learn that many of these plants that I had formerly considered ‘water huggers’ need indeed much less water, as the grower of these plants, Tom Jesch of Waterwise Botanicals in Bonsall explained: With the appropriate watering rhythm in their establishment phase they will push out their roots far and deep which makes them much more resistant to a low water regime than we are used to believe.

With our rising water cost and the prolonged high temperatures that have parched so much of our land water conservation and drought resistant landscaping is on all our minds. So it’s wise to look for plants that fit into our xeriscape designs, but we don’t need to deprive ourselves of a lush look and energizing colors.

Hot tropicals on a water budget – xeriscape landscaping with brilliant color

June 22, 2012 By Christiane Homquist Leave a Comment

Bright summer light washes out the colors in the drought tolerant landscape

Bright intense light and June haze over drought tolerant landscape

What comes to your mind when you hear the term ‘xeriscape landscaping’? Drab, color-less expanses of thin blades, sharp spines, gravel and dusty mulch? Blue-gray foliage with some pale shriveled-up flowers?

I exaggerate of course. But have you noticed how in our lovely county, when it’s summer in earnest, and especially around noon, many plants seem to “hold their breath”? Their colors look faded and washed out in the glaring sunlight; some stop blooming, curl their foliage or actually shed it. In my garden, my very controlled watering régime is only half to blame (after all, I’m gardening with drought tolerant plants); for many of my Mediterranean plants it’s summer dormancy, their genetic response to the intense light, extended drought and heat.

So I was excited when I got an invitation from Waterwise Botanicals in Bonsall to visit their growing grounds: Tom Jesch introduced us to some traditionally considered “tropical” plants with their expected attributes: Lush foliage, glossy leaves and brilliant, intense color, but that perform, with clever irrigation practices, like drought resistant plants: After planting, you water deeply and then repeat the cycle on the same day or the day after. Re-water about 10 days later (or earlier, depending on how much water your soil retains). When the establishment phase is over (usually 6-9 months), you can stretch the period between waterings to greater lengths (again, this depends on how well drained your soil is or how much water your soil can hold; a good amount of organic matter increases its water holding capacity…)

If you are looking for some strikingly colorful additions to your low water landscaping, check these plants out. I, too, look forward to incorporating them into my landscape designs:

Royal Queen Pereskia grandiflora violacea drought tolerant tropical shrub

Royal Queen Pereskia grandiflora violacea gives a punch of color to the xeriscape design

Royal Queen is an attractive answer to our water crisis. With glossy evergreen foliage (that hides its thorns – it’s in the cactus family after all) and clusters of orchid-like purple flowers from late spring to fall, this shrub lends our low water landscaping a colorful and “royal” touch. It likes regular watering but is equally tough in dry conditions, partial or full sun. It’s partially deciduous in winter and tender to freezing temperatures.

Uses: With its size of 3 to 4 ft in height and width, I’d use it as center of a flower bed design, as specimen, (in winter, when it’s partially deciduous, I’d distract from it with other green or flowering plants); or I’d use it in mass plantings where its sparser look in winter is not a problem. I’d also use it in a container if it can be rolled out of sight in winter.

Variegated Brazilian Skyflower Duranta repens variegata as tropical addition to xeriscape designs

The Variegated Brazilian Sky Flower Duranta repens variegata lends a tropical touch

Shiny leaves with bright green and cream variegation, drooping clusters of lavender blossoms in spring to summer make the Brazilian Skyflower an attractive large shrub that grows to 12 – 15 ft tall by 8 ft wide but can also be trained into a small tree. It thrives in the heat, sun or part sun. It needs regular water (as in every 10 days or so), and it’s hardy to the high 20’s. A note to gardeners with children: This plant produces yellow berry-like fruits (the plant is also called “Pigeon Berry”) that are toxic if ingested.

Uses: I’d use it as screen, or train it into a small attractive evergreen patio or container tree.

I’m excited to have found more plants that are suitable for the drought resistant landscaping, and I look forward to using these when I need to give my xeriscape designs more punch. And there are quite a few more to cover – look for them in my next post.

Lush yet water-wise – even with roses. Here’s how.

October 4, 2011 By Christiane Holmquist 1 Comment

WaterwiseBotanicals roses embellish Carmel Mountain Plaza San Diego

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

Award-Winning Case Study: Xeriscape San Diego

July 26, 2011 By Christiane Holmquist Leave a Comment

Traditional ice-plant expanse in the front yard

Traditional iceplant landscape

Achieving water savings and creating satisfying drought resistant landscaping are probably THE most important services I provide to homeowners.

Here’s a case study of how both goals were reached for Liz and Rick in Escondido:
Feeling the pinch of an ever-increasing water bill, Liz and Rick were ready “to do something” about their conventional ice-plant expanse, and they contracted with Nature Designs Landscaping in Vista, CA, one of the landscaping companies in San Diego that are experts in drought resistant landscaping.

I have worked with Steve Jacobs before on similar xeriscape designs. He felt that I would be a good fit for the naturalistic style and relaxed outdoor living that Liz and Rick prefer, as I share their interest in exceptional desert plant species that demand little maintenance.

drought-resistant landscaping with desert plant species

Colorful and drought resistant

We agreed to create several related themes for this garden: The ‘Contemporary California Mix’ at the entrance has the most color but also interesting contrast of texture and form: Narrow-pointy blades of Kangaroo Paws, Daylilies and Evergold Sedge contrast with the rounded form and fleshy texture of such succulents as Cotyledon, Echeverias and Dudleyas. Feathery Cassia, Myrtle and Texas Ranger give structure; Strawberry Tree, Willow Wattle and Chitalpa create an overhead canopy and “anchor” the home.

On the slopes farther away, we created a native California theme: Ceanothus and Mountain Mahoganies screen the pool garden; at the bottom of the slope grows a pretty mix of Bush Poppy, Sages, California Wild Rye, California Fuchsia and other perennials.

Desert plant species

For Liz’s impressive collection of succulents and cacti that included Aloes, Agaves, an Ocotillo, Hesperaloe and a Zamia, I designed a “desert garden”, mounded it up and top-dressed it with attractive rock and gravel. It is placed in a large area in the back garden that had previously been lawn.

Their south-west facing back garden also saw significant change: Here we placed four raised vegetable beds in a star-shaped arrangement, accessible on all sides on clean D(ecomposed) G(ranite). Many fruit trees also grow in this “production area” whose entrance is marked by an arbor.

A backyard landscape design

Collaborating with Liz and Rick and Nature Designs Landscaping was very satisfying because of our shared goals: Gain significant water savings; make this landscape fun to contemplate and a pleasure to live and garden in as Liz and Rick continue to add new plant finds.

There are also more measurable signs of success: Since installation a year ago, the drought resistant plants have grown significantly, thanks to drip irrigation and several inches of mulch. In that time Liz and Rick have saved close to 60% compared to their previous year’s water consumption while enjoying edible pay-back in their vegetable garden. Nature Designs was honored with an achievement award at the recent California Landscape Contractors Association Annual Beautification Awards for this project, and I am grateful to share this honor as the designer.

Christiane Holmquist

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