Back corner garden

I converted the back corner of our yard to native plants this April.  It is something I have been wanting to do for a while, but hesitant, as it is such a large plot of land.  But my twin brother came to visit, and encouraged me (and helped me) to dive in.  

So while he was here, we dug up all the grass. We also moved the bench that sat unused in the front yeard to be posited in the backyard.  Beofre I even started landscape, when the area was just dirt, it was already a new favorite place to sit.  For some reason, the birds do not seem to be as wary of me when I sit there, as compared to the front porch, and it is in full view of all the bird feeders.

So after all the hard work was done, I purchased a bunch of native plants and purchased some flagstone, and started to have fun. :)

When I originally planned the garden, I went to Natural Gardener and picked a bunch of plants and did a rough sketch of what I wanted where... but when I went back a week later, none of those plants were still there, so I had to improvise.

Last weekend, I also went down to the Valley's National Butterfly Center, where they have a whole collection of native plants.  Including a bunch of natives that are hard to get, or that I was not familiar with.  Unfortunately, I realized that at least three of

Coralberry - 4ft.  Shade or Part shade. Water usage: Low This small, mound-shaped, deciduous shrub with shredding bark on older wood and brown to purplish branchlets covered with short hairs visible under a 10x hand lens, usually grows to 4 ft. but can reach 6 ft. Its smooth, dull green leaves are opposite and roughly oval, tapering about equally to tip and base, up to 2 inches long but often less than 1 inch, with smooth, turned down margins and a rounded or broadly pointed tip. The greenish-white flower clusters are not as showy as the clusters of coral-pink to purple fruit up to 1/4 inch in diameter which remain on the plant through winter. Songbirds, ground birds, small mammals, and browsers use this plant for food, cover, and nesting sites.

I have been wanting to try this Texas Native for awhile, and the mostly shade portion of the garden seems like a good place to give it a go.  I bought two of the larger sized shrubs.  So it is nice to give the beginning garden a little dimension to start

Frost Weed - Verbesina virginica Up to 8 feet tall Low water usage This easy-to-grow Verbesina lends stately, dark green leaves and white, autumn flowers to the dappled shade found at the edges of woodlands, where it can form sizable colonies with its spreading rhizomes. Each stem has soft, fleshy green flanges running longitudinally down its length. When winter weather brings ice, the stems exude water that freezes into fascinating shapes, hence its common name Frostweed. This plant is best suited for naturalizing rather than formal landscapes.  Attracts butterflies

Another new native plant for me that I have been wanting to try. I saw these at the Butterfly center, and they are sort of weed-like, but apparently good for butterflies and do well in shade, so I thought the shade portion might be a good place for them.  I  am hoping they live and spread, because I'd love to try some also in my opposite corner garden.  With "weed" in its name, I am hoping this is a new tough and easy plant for me to introduce.

Lyre Leaf Sage  Salvia lyrata 12 x 12”. Part shade to shade. Compact reseeding perennial with low purple tinged foliage and taller spikes of lavender flowers from Feb to April. Can form a solid cover with regular watering.  It even takes mowing and can be walked on. Flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

A new native for me as well.  Wildflower.org says it is a ajuga-like ground cover, which is good, since all of my ajuga died in the drought last year.  Hopefully this will be tougher, and fill in theis shade area with butterfly attracting flowers!

Crucita aka Blue Mistflower: Chromolaena odorata is a deciduous sub-shrub in North America. (It is a shrub in the tropics.) Branched stems curve upward and are usually 2-6 ft. in height. Somewhat triangular-shaped leaves are virtually evergreen in extreme s. TX. Lilac to bright purplish-blue flowers cluster together into showy, ageratum-like flower heads. Dies back to the roots in hard winters.

On the strong recommendation of the Austinite who worked there, I purchased two plants called Crucita.  She said she had it growing in her home garden in Austin, and it did great.  When I came back home, and looked it up, it turns out Crucita is Blue Mistflower.  I purchased one last year for the front garden, and it did not make it through this last winter... so we will see how these two do.  I put one in this garden, and one in a different garden.

Low Croton - Berlandier croton or croton humilis Pepperbush Part shade.  Wildflower.org has almost no information on this plant. Texas A&M has more information.  A strong-scented, small shrub with oval leaves and light brown to pale gray bark, Berlandier croton grows in dry sandy soils in clearings in thickets and chaparrals in the Rio Grande Plains, usually found coming up through other shrubs. Small clusters of white flowers appear throughout the year following rains. Male and female flowers can be on the same plant or on separate plants. Seeds, enclosed in a 3-lobed capsule, are eaten by many birds, and the leaves and flowers provide food for butterflies and caterpillars. It needs well-drained soil and part shade to do its best, but otherwise it is an adaptable and very drought-tolerant plant.

This says it is hard to Zone 9, so I shouldn't get too attached to this plant.  I might dig it up and pot it.    I bought it at the Butterfly center, after seeing one there, and having someone say it was great for butterflies.