Common name:Crape Myrtle
Botanical name:Lagerstroemia indica

The new leaves of this species are 2" long, bright green, and tinged with bronze. Some cultivars have spectacular fall color. When it has a bare outline, its rounded seed capsules add interest. Its delicate flowers bloom in 6"-12" long clusters. The flower colors could be shades of red, rose, pink, purple, and white, blooming in summer. It thrives on heat, and new cultivars have been created that resist mildew. This tree prefers full sun and has low watering needs once it's established.

Common name:Ginkgo Tree, Maidenhair Tree
Botanical name:Ginkgo biloba

The Ginko biloba, with its distinct fan-shaped leaves, initially grows with a pyramidal habit, but later becomes wide-spreading. It is generally not bothered by insects or disease.

Common name:Snow White Flowering Tea Tree
Botanical name:Leptospermum scoparium 'Snow White'

New Zealand Tea Tree has small, needle-like green leaves with showy, 1/2" rose-like flowers in winter and spring. These shrubs can be thinned to enhance their attractive branch structure and flaking bark. They need very little water once established. 'Snow White' is spreading, compact, reaching 2-4' tall by 4-5' wide. It has white blooms with green centers.

Common name:California Fuchsia
Botanical name:Zauschneria californica

The California Fuchsia is a perennial with dense, narrow, silver foliage and orange summer flowers. The growth habit of this plant is sprawling and low, 2' tall and 4' wide. This perennial is a California native and attracts hummingbirds. It prefers full sun and is drought tolerant once it's established.

Common name:Incana Cranesbill
Botanical name:Geranium incanum

The incanum variety is grown as a trailing or mounding perennial to a size of 1' tall, spreading by underground runners to cover relatively large areas if healthy. Its foliage has a wispy, ferny texture. The dark, rosy violet flowers can appear almost all year in areas of mild climates. The plant needs good drainage, and most suffer die back in cold winters. Proper growth conditions include sun with little or no summer watering. -Monterey Bay Nursery

The Magic of Mulch

In the natural world the endless cycle of birth, growth, decay, death and rebirth flows throughout the seasons. Plants die, leaves fall and new growth springs up in its place. Nothing is lost and the fallen leaves and dead plants decay into the soil, enriching it for the next generation of growth.

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