Common name:Foothill Penstemon Margarita Bop
Botanical name:Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita Bop'
Another one of the easiest and most versatile California native plants. This is a hybrid penstemon; will produce beautiful purple/blue flowers through much of the year when spent flowers are removed. Foliage grows in low growing mats to 6-8"H x 12-18"W.
Common name:Conejo Buckwheat, Saffron Buckwheat
Botanical name:Eriogonum crocatum
Saffron Buckwheat is a compact, low growing shrub but may be used as a ground cover. It reaches 1.5' tall and 2-3' wide. Evergreen leaves are whiteish and woolly. It contrasts beautifully with the yellow flower clusters during summer, turning brown in fall. This plant does well in full sun in coastal areas but needs afternoon shade in warm, inland areas. It tolerates heavy soils if given good drainage and no summer water. Butterflies love this California native.
Designer: Nancy Niemeyer
Photographer: GardenSoft
Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.
Mulching around plants helps retain water and improves the soil.
Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.
