PLANNING NEW GARDENS

The land will have three distinct garden areas. Entrance to the property is in the northwest corner. The studio will be built in the southwestern area, and the remaining part of the west side will be given to pathways and garden. It will be dominated by bamboo growing along the north and west walls. Two acacia trees will be planted between the entry gate and the house, both to shade the house from the brutal afternoon sun, and because they are so beautiful. As I want to focus on native plants as much as possible, these two are a good start.

This tree grows along a busy road in Marrakech. I have not been up close yet, but I am pretty sure it is an acacia, a native tree to this area.

This is another acacia, and they grow in the area around the garden home. A couple of its common names are Jerusalem Thorn and in the US desert southwest, Palo Verde. Something about these beautiful trees has always made me feel cool and refreshed.

I am just now exploring the understory plants appropriate for the desert garden area, which will get the most sun, therefore needing desert plants. I have found this strange and beautiful plant growing in many areas along the highway, so I know it can take full sun. It is a pleasing little blueish mound shaped plant with needle-like leaves that at least this time of year, are strangely soft, almost rubbery. 

I think this plant is Launaea Arborescens. It usually grows between 40 and 80 centimeters high, and has yellow flowers. I read that the children of nomads collect the latex that flows from broken stems; they knead it so that it thickens and make small balls of it which they chew like chewing gum.  The plant is beautiful now, in early summer-I will keep an eye on it over the summer and fall and see what it looks like then.