Holmes Landscape Company

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Ground Cover
Sedum
The sedum family is Crassulaceae, a succulent perennial with many useful applications in our landscapes. Sedum comes from all over the world and does well in rock gardens as well as a ground cover. Being a succulent, sedum will propagate very easily so getting additional plants is as simple as cutting off a piece and sticking it back in the soil so new roots will develop. Sedum also needs good drainage and does not like to be over watered. Being a succulent, Sedum will not take foot traffic at all so be careful not to plant it anywhere you may need to walk.

This is a hardy, tolerant plant that does well in our high alkaline and salty soils. We have done successful plantings of Sedum lineare, Sedum rubrotinctum and are doing some experimental plantings of several other Sedum varieties. One variety we are working with is a ground cover with a deep purple color that grows to about 4 inches tall. This could be a very attractive ground cover plant with a dramatic color to accent our other flowering plants. We are very excited about this plant family and so far have found this plant to do very well in the landscape.

Shrub
Eremophila (Emu Bush)
As the common name implies, this plant is native to Australia. It is a flowering plant with yellow, orange or red tubular flowers and rich green foliage. Eremophila is a very drought tolerant plant that we are using on slopes and garden areas as a background plant. Being a drought tolerant plant, it has narrow leaves that are spaced apart on the branches. This is not a full, thick shrub but rather a more open, delicate appearing plant. The Eremophila will take our harsh soils and its open form will tolerate windy areas. As with most drought tolerant plants Eremophila likes to have good drainage.

Tree
Cercis (Redbud)
Considered to be a small tree or a large shrub, the Western Redbud is the most commonly planted variety in our area. This deciduous plant has a great display of blooms in the springtime for up to a month. The flower production is increased by having the tree in areas that receive the lowest temperatures and greatest amounts of frost. Following the flowering, the Redbud displays bluegreen foliage throughout the spring, summer and early fall. In the fall or early winter the leaves will turn yellow and red providing a nice change of weather effect. After regular watering the first year or two to establish this tree, the water can be slowly withdrawn until the tree will do well in areas that receive little water. This is a plant, that once established, will do well in areas where other plants and trees will not succeed.

Holmes Landscape Company 934 La Rueda Road, Vista, CA 92084-6518 760.732.3379760.598.3500 Fax holmes@holmeslandscape.com "Always looking to improve ourselves, our workers, and the quality of our work." ©1996-2008 Holmes Landscape Company. All rights reserved. Web site by JE Web Design.