Having pulled and dug out the dead arborvitaes, I was left with some holes to fill in the front yard.
Stephen kindly agreed to accompany me to Osuna Nursery to spend some of the gift certificate we received from the family as a going-away gift. He had no idea what he was getting into, never having gone to a plant store with me before, but he was intrepid. He has a new interest in the outdoors thanks to the lack of allergens here, and he likes the idea of xeriscape, but I think we could describe his attitude as willing, not eager. He had to hold his breath as we walked through the greenhouse to the outdoor area where the native plants are kept. Then I sent him BACK through the pollen-infested greenhouse to get a cart, and then AGAIN to bring the cart to the check-out area. Look! He's still smiling.
We chose two large spineless prickly pear cactus to fill some of the large holes, and I got two ice plants and a lavender for the area by the steps. The previous owners of our house had annuals by the steps, pentunias, if I recall correctly, but I want drought-tolerant perennials in those spots.
Here they are in their new homes. We still have lots of work to do, but I was so eager to get started that I didn't want to wait until school gets out in a week and a half. On the other hand, I had no idea how difficult it would be to transplant these large cacti, and I'm just starting to learn what all the options for plants are and to visualize them in the various parts of the yard. So starting with just a few plants seemed wise. Can't wait to do some more!
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