Xeriscape - Drought-Adaptive Horticulture

The Gone Native Drought Adaptive Garden
Scenes from December, 2006

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When green growth ceases and the seed produced in the summer becomes limited, packrats begin gnawing on prickly pear pads.

Rock, fall leaves, and bone create a still life miniature within the landscape.

A small patch of buffalo grass is dressed up with fallen cottonwood leaves and fallen green willow leaves.

In West Texas, the wind will blow, and when it does, a yucca will capture some of the dancing, swirling leaves.

Mexican Persimmon will retain its dark green leaves well into the winter, and is dramatic against the pale winter grasses.

Fallen leaves lie scattered on a flagstone patio and path.

The south side of the work shed in evening sun glows at sundown.

On the west side of the shed, fanciful bugs hang on the wall.

The west side of the shed is a wonderful place to enjoy a sunset.

The Spanish oaks along the southwestern edge of the tree grove catch the evening sunlight with great effect.

The strong architecture of the bluish agave are a great counterpoint to the Spanish oaks.

The sun gate ornament glows in the evening sun.

Metal art adds a cultural dimension to a home landscape.

On a chilly morning after a rain, a coyote's track is deeply impressed in the soil, showing where it sniffed at a ground squirrel hole on its nocturnal rounds. The coyote had not gone far, for the photographer jumped him a few minutes later, but he fled before a picture could be snapped.

Bush muhly is a frothy mound in mesquite pastureland. Glossy old mesquite wood sets it off nicely.

A heavy dew brightens the colors of an early winter landscape. Clouds rolling in promise more moisture.

The resident pair of Curve-billed Thrashers hunt together in the morning.

The heavy dew darkens the lower trunks of mesquite and jujube.

The upper branches of the jujube are bright in contrast to the darkened trunks.

Dead pads of prickly pear turn bright colors, and a heavy frost adds another dimension to the peculiar sight.

The Spanish oak leaves, now fallen, sets off the blue leaves of the agave.

Fallen leaves add to the landscape of the "Sacred Well" with its blue suncatcher and "waterfall" made of hunks of blue glass.

Compare the October photo of this same scene, when the flame acanthus was still in bloom.

When the leaves have fallen, views open up. The work shed is not completely visible from this perspective in the growing season.

In the winter evergreen sumac and agarita provide evergreen interest under the row of pinyons and Afghan pines to the north of the house.

The dark framework of the goldenrain tree compartmentalizes the thicket beyond.

Balsam apple, a native West Texas vine, retains red berries after the leaves have withered from frost.

The ball-like fruit of Arizona Cypress nestle among its leaves, along with a fallen leaf, the green strands of nolina, and a pad of prickly pear.

Prickly pear pads eventually decay to this network of veining. A piece of its "skin" remained, slowly fading to white.

Nolina and prickly pear add contrasting textures to a stump used as an ornamental feature in the landscape.

The cascading branches of weeping willow stand out against the dark spires of Arizona Cypress and Eastern Red Cedar.

After rainfall, cryptogamic soil turns green.

Each season brings a different look to the pasture's grasses, yucca, and prickly pear.

Cane cholla will retain the yellow fruit all winter. The fruit is dry and is rarely used by wildlife.

Beyond the blue Alligator Juniper, a blue door pops out under the dark green needles of Afghan Pine.

On a chilly and windy morning, a mockingbird hunkered down out of the wind in the lee of a Texas sage.

Every landscape should have a mix of evergreen plants and ornamental construction such as this railroad tie fence to offset the leafless aspect of the winter landscape.

The red leaves of the cane bluestem grass are quite noticeable when compared with the tawny grasses of the foreground and the clumps of green yucca.

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