Perennials for dry, sandy areas

Garden_of_Mu · Post by **Garden_of_Mu** » Mar 13, 2006 12:44 pm

What common perennials like dry sandy areas? I'm trying to get a list togetehr of things I won;t have to amend the soil too much for for the year, while things that need more pampering can have the better flowerbeds. So far I've come up with clumping sedums, oriental poppies, and lupines. Are there otehr taproot plants i am missing? What about columbine? It has a taproot, but is it enough? And do they go dormant if it gets too hot or will they just die? Appreciate any suggestions!

Post by **Chris_W** » Mar 13, 2006 1:14 pm

Hi Mike,

All of the sedums will do good here, and do you really need anything else? I've done tons of gardens that don't have anything else and they are some of my favorites

The lupines are tough sometimes because they need perfect drainage yet like to be watered, but that is probably ideal for your area? Salvias, penstemon, perovskia, sempervivum, lavender... Is Rosemary hardy there? I believe they like those conditions. Verbascum tend to like that too, and they grow great in the PacNW. Commons plants like Echinacea and Veronica also like to be grown dry. And of course there are the Yuccas. The variegated ones make great specimens.

That's a start I guess

Good luck!

Chris

seedaholic · Post by **seedaholic** » Mar 13, 2006 2:56 pm

You could also add,echinops,eryngiums,artemisias,lychnis,sysyrinchium,stachys,and nepetas.
Have a look at this site www.bethchatto.co.uk. and look at info on the dry gardens.

KellieD · Post by **KellieD** » Mar 13, 2006 8:05 pm

Mike, remember the soil at my last place?? Very sandy and dry.
I used the High Country Gardens website as a reference a lot of the time. www.highcountrygardens.com

I also found that I could plant just about anything as long as I had a real good compost mulch on top to keep the soil cool. Plants love to really sink their roots into a sandy soil. I swear they go to China!

Garden_of_Mu · Post by **Garden_of_Mu** » Mar 14, 2006 11:25 am

Excellent suggestions all. Thanks so much! I have many of those mentioned and will set them all aside for a special bed. Will also check out the websites mentioned.

Kellie - I have access to truckloads of fresh mule-doo from the neighbors. How long should it sit before it can be spread as a mulch?

KellieD · Post by **KellieD** » Mar 14, 2006 4:48 pm

Eight weeks is all that is required for fresh out of the mule around plants. Don't hesitate to spread it fresh on bare ground that you want to be a bed at some later time.

Me, I'd take all I could get and stockpile it!

Doris_J · Post by **Doris_J** » Mar 14, 2006 11:05 pm

Phlomis.

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » Mar 15, 2006 1:45 am

Doris, bless you! Hope you feel better.

KellieD · Post by **KellieD** » Mar 15, 2006 11:14 am

@ OED!!!!

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Mar 15, 2006 12:26 pm

OED!

doublemom2 · Post by **doublemom2** » Mar 22, 2006 12:50 pm

Well, I was going to jump in here and suggest some things, but looks like everyone else already covered it LOL!. Mike - I'll save a couple of my Eryngium alpinum seedlings for you and sneak them in with the other plants I'm bringing back to you. They would love it there. I have a few renegade Lavender 'Lady' seedlings that I'll try to get potted up for you too. Do you want me to bring you some Echniaceas also?

Andi

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » Mar 23, 2006 12:05 am

Andi, I think Doris could use some Echniaceas.

Doris_J · Post by **Doris_J** » Mar 23, 2006 9:16 am

Ah, ah, ah....FUCHSIA!

doublemom2 · Post by **doublemom2** » Mar 23, 2006 6:52 pm

E-C-H-I-N-A-C-E-A

Phew!!! That was a tough one! Did I get it right this time?

LOL....

Andi

Garden_of_Mu · Post by **Garden_of_Mu** » Mar 23, 2006 11:58 pm

Bring it on! I don't know how all thsi stuff is ever going to get planted - or where.

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » Mar 24, 2006 3:34 am

Shucks Andi! I got my spelling from your first post. How should I know if you got it right yet.

thy · Post by **thy** » Mar 24, 2006 5:23 pm

Exept for the very shade loving and water loving plant I would saý nearly everything. I have been moving from one clay garden to an other. August 2004 my son found a house (if you use your imagination - it can be one day) with a very sandy dry soil. He is not a gardener at all, so I got it as a playground, added a lot of compost and moved lots of plants to his place including quite a few hostas in too much sun.. they love it and grow way better than mine, so do the daylillies, so do all plants. Only exeption I have seen so far are roses, they have died for me exept a Darwin rose.
I wareted my garden every second day in the hot dry August, his garden got water one time during 6 hot weeks ( I did it)

So like said before, give it a good layer of compost and enjoy
Columbines grow perfect here without water and in pure grit, so I think they will your place too until they go dormant, take care of selfseeding.. oh, you know all about plants, so no reason to tel you

Pia