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Writer's pictureMark Bentsen

Starting from Scratch

Updated: Oct 5, 2022


Matthew and his wife are in the process of building a new home. There is nothing on the lot at this time except a few wildflowers. They aren't particular about the plant varieties as long as they are attractive and easy to care for. They aren't sure, but suspect there are deer in the neighborhood. So, we are starting from scratch on a new landscape.

Here are a few plants that will work well in that sunny, rocky soil.



-Sandankwa Viburnum is a great shrub with dark green leaves. You can keep it 3' tall or let it get 6' tall. And deer don't eat it.

-Gold Star Esperanza-this plant is amazing. It never quits. It blooms all summer.

-Whale's Tongue Agave will get about 4' tall after about 5-7 years.


-Wooly Stemodia-A great little ground cover that is gray and deer don't eat it.

-Blue Plumbago will get about 2' tall and wide. It can handle sun or shade and bloom spring through fall.

-Bicolor Iris- put this in the sun and it will be covered with cream colored blooms.


Autumn Sage (aka Salvia greggii) is a Hill Country favorite. It blooms spring through fall and is mostly evergreen. You can find selections that bloom a variety of colors. Here we have purple, red, and white.


-One of the best blooming Lantanas is New Gold. It will get about 15" tall and 2' wide. If it quits blooming you probably need to fertilize it, or water it a little more.

-Rose Creek Abelia- this is one of the most compact varieties of Abelia. It's easy to keep 3' tall and wide, and it has white flowers in summer and fall.

-Pink Skullcap pops flowers all summer. You can let it get 4' wide. Or shear it in the spring and it will only get about 18" wide.


-Mystic Spires Salvia is a super star also. It blooms like this spring to fall. It will get about 2' tall and wide.

-Queen Victoria Agave will only get about 12"-15" tall and and wide. It loves it hot and dry.

-Cherry Blast Loropetalum has dark red leaves and will have fringe-like flowers in the early spring. Shear it once a year to keep it 4'-5' tall.


Hesperaloes are often referred to as Yuccas, but they aren't. But they are similar in needs and growth habits. Here we have Yellow Hesperaloe, Red Yucca, and Brake Light Yucca.


-Yucca Rostrada is native to west Texas and Mexico, but does well in central Texas too.

-Potomac Crapemyrtle has pink flowers all summer, but in the fall it's leaves turn reddish orange.

-Mexican Feather Grass-this little grass only gets about 15" tall and sways in the breeze



-Yucca Pendula is a long lived succulent that doesn't develop much of a trunk. After about 10 years its trunk may be a foot tall. It produces a flower stalk in the summer after a couple of years. The leaves are soft and not much of a danger, but they do have point on the tip of the leaf.

-Four Nerve Daisy is a native of Texas and the southwest. The plant is relatively slow to develop a big body but it blooms 12 months out of the year. You can plant it in 1s or even quarts or 4". Regardless of the size you buy, plant them about 12" apart.

-Color Guard Yucca is essentially i variegated Yucca Pendula. It grows exactly the same as the Yucca Pendula. But, it's a little slower growing. Its big difference is the variegated leaves.



We all have utility boxes or air conditioner units in our yard. Some are hidden out of the way, some aren't. Some you just want to hide...or disguise in some way so it's not so obvious. Above are a few ways people have tried to get them out of sight.


Well, that's it for today. If you have questions or need some help with your landscape, give me a call. My contact info is on the previous page.

Thanks.
















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