Every garden has one of those
difficult spots that is impossible to water or maintain. It could be a sidewalk
strip, a bed alongside a driveway or garage, or just a corner of the yard that
the hose can’t reach. In those places,
you need some plants that can stand up for themselves.
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The first step is to improve the
soil as much as you can. Dig out as
much dirt as you can (pick a day when the earth is damp but not soggy), and
fill in with rich, aged compost or a bagged planting mix. Work about one-third native soil back into
the bed. Pile the mixture high; it will
settle during the first year.
Next, walk the neighborhood and
look for plants that flourish under the same conditions. The importance of microclimate cannot be
underestimated here; the best plants for a difficult spot are the ones that
already have a proven track record nearby, maybe even in your own garden.
It’s tempting to plant an invasive groundcover in a
place like this, especially if it seems like it would be contained by
concrete. However, there are some
excellent California native choices. In
a large, dry area, a ceanothus (there are many varieties available) will bloom
its heart out in summer and provide a mass of shiny, dark green leaves the rest
of the year. It will also crowd out
weeds.
Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium
bellum) is an excellent choice for a smaller area that gets some water—try
it in a low spot in the garden, for instance. The plants reach up to two feet high, and in springtime they produce
lovely bright purple-blue flowers. For
a meadow look, mix in perennial, clump-forming ornamental grasses and scatter
poppy seeds (Eschscholzia californica) every fall. Beautiful!