Common name:Oriental Fountain Grass
Botanical name:Pennisetum orientale

Oriental Fountain Grass is a clumping, warm-season grass with spectacular pinkish white flowers in summer and sometimes fall. Flower plumes change to light brown. Foliage is a bright green that changes to straw color as winter approaches. This grass is 2.5' tall and wide. It usually does not reseed. This grass is striking if backlit to show off flower plumes.

Common name:California or Golden Poppy
Botanical name:Eschscholzia californica

This small annual (sometimes acts as a perennial) plant will grow to less than 1' tall and has light, small blue-green leaves with gold and orange flowers that bloom in spring and summer.

Common name:Yellow Dietes or Fortnight Lily
Botanical name:Dietes bicolor

This clumping perennial iris relative stands 3'-4' high. It has light- yellow, iris-like flowers with maroon blotches that are about 2" wide. It performs best in full sun and in soil with good drainage.

Common name:Flamingo Green Eulalia Grass
Botanical name:Miscanthus sinensis 'Flamingo'

These deciduous grasses grow from 4-7' tall, and often turn pink-tinged inflorescences before going dormant. Tall, showy spikes of feathery, curved seed heads are borne and retained well into the winter or the following spring. It should receive sun to part shade, and average to little summer watering. -Monterey Bay Nursery

Common name:Royal Purple Smoke Tree
Botanical name:Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'

Royal Purple Smokebrush is a large shrub or small tree with handsome, oval purple leaves all summer which turn scarlet color in the fall. Silvery-purple clouds of seed heads appear in fall. This striking shrub prefers full sun and low amount of watering once it's established. Prune in winter to shape. This shrub reaches 15' tall and 10' wide.

Common name:Lamb's Ear
Botanical name:Stachys byzantina

This tiny shrub will grow less than 1' tall and has medium-size, greyish-green leaves with blue and lavender flowers that bloom in the spring. This shrub is grown more for its velvety leaves than the flowers. It is drought tolerant once it's established. Be careful not to overwater.

Common name:Sunburst Honey Locust
Botanical name:Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunburst'

The golden yellow color of new foliage is characteristic of this variety. Its leaves turn green when they mature, then turning yellow in fall when getting ready to drop. This thornless and seedless tree can reach 40'-50' tall. It prefers full sun and has low watering needs once it's established. Roots can be invasive so do not use as street trees. 'Sunburst' provides filtered shade and is very attractive.

Common name:Rose selected cultivars
Botanical name:Rosa species

These shrubs and vines are the most-loved in the West and are very resilient. They come in a wide variety of sizes and colors and are easy to maintain with proper care. Roses can be espaliered or used on a trellis or as shrubs along walkways. Some are fragrant; most have thorns.

Sustainable Fertilization

If you mulch heavily as recommended in the compost and mulch fact sheets you should not need traditional fertilization. Sustainable landscapes fertilize themselves as soil organisms break down and recycle the dropped leaves into nutrients.

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