After his systematic review Mike left four lines free. With a smile he told me I would have to look for new plants. Who am I to resist such a challenge? I found a mock orange (pittosporum) that is supposed to tolerate mild drought. It is billed as a woodland plant, and I will try it under the trees to replace the lately departed euonymus. It should be a slow grower which will help in that section of the garden. I also found another gold lantana to brighten the opposite end of the front slope.
The succulent section at Lowe’s was uninspiring today. I did find an agave to try at the bottom of the front slope garden by the bench. I applied plant starter to all the new plants and turned up the bubbler on the mock orange.
During a water break yesterday Mike and I sat on the picnic bench looking up the slope. The water from the pink and white geraniums on the mezzanine level heads right down the hillside. I scrounged for decent sized rocks along the driveway and in the cow pasture, and cannibalized a few from the existing rock formations. The rocks shore up the slope below the geraniums. I added soil amendment, dead headed the plants and will give supplemental water for a while.
Mike added a bubbler to the container with the butter colored marigold. Water collected during installation, and I dumped out two to three gallons to keep the plant from drowning. I topped the container with new (dry) moisture control potting soil and will hope for the best.
Penumbra 10.12
Half penumbra 12.46
A Year at the Snake 