Thanks again to Heather at Xericstyle for starting the monthly Wide Shot series. Having these monthly pictures really helps me see how much everything changes.
The thing that strikes me this month is the way that the slower growing structural plants are really starting to give the yard visual interest in the winter. It’s not all just dead twigs. Pam (Digging) told me that I had the structure in place, but at the time I didn’t really quite catch what she was saying. I’m starting to see that structure fall into place.
And now for another warning about what you’re getting into when you start xeric gardening.
The biggest part of xeric gardening is definitely the weeding. This can get easier once you get things under control, but I don’t think I know a gardener who doesn’t do a lot of it. But #2 is cutting back perenials at the end of winter. It’s a pretty big job.
Here’s 5 trash cans full of lantana and mistflower that I pulled out today. We tend not to mention this task because it comes at the most beautiful time of year, when it generally is pretty nice to be out in the garden.
But it’s still a big job, and not much fun. The results (and the promise of spring) make the lantana skin irritation feel mostly worthwhile:
