No one likes bald spots.  They just make you feel awkward.  Like you’re in the middle of that “naked in public” dream that you can’t wait to wake up from.  Middle-aged men don’t like them and your landscape doesn’t either.  But with the dry conditions last summer and the following winter freezes (do Texans even know how to make a snowman?), there’s a good chance your landscape may have some bald spots of its own.

If this is the case for you and your landscape, you’re in luck.  TexaScapes’ Green Gardener, a.k.a. Richard Fadal, is about to give your landscape a metaphorical toupee.  Spring  is the perfect time to replace lost plants with native or naturalized perennials that can better endure the Central Texas weather that is so varied meteorologists are rendered useless.

Here are three hardy, drought-tolerant, perennials our Green Gardener recommends.

-       Lantana. This native comes in several upright and trailing varieties that offer blooms of red, yellow, orange and pink flowers.

-       Coral or red yucca. Once established, this tough evergreen plant tolerates extreme heat and cold. Its coral tubular flowers last May through October.

-       Yellow Bells, also called Esperanza. This shrub prefers well-drained soil and full sun and will be covered in showy, bell-like flowers from spring through fall.

If you’re looking to lower your irrigation bill and reduce your landscape maintenance, this robust trio is for you.  See, who says you have to chose between time and money?

Not ready to commit?  Check out some video footage of these Texas weather-bearers and listen to Richard give you the inside scoop in his Green Gardener segment on WeAreAustin.com.

Have another favorite perennial that can battle through the Texas weather wars and come out alive?  Let us know, we’re always on the lookout!

This entry was posted on Monday, May 10th, 2010 at 9:22 PM and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.