Please tune your brains to Zone 9b. Think hot! Thank you!
See that Golden Barrel? I have a little trouble relating to folks who would want a cactus like this removed from their property but if I'm the beneficiary, I won't complain! I had it put in yesterday. :)
This Mama Golden Barrel has eight offspring. I'm hoping she makes a nice transition from the desert into the lusher courtyard. I want something spine-free to go next to her. I'm thinking taller and thinner - but nothing that would cover the house numbers (which I cut from the photo) or block the entrance unless it's easy to trim back. Something the size of my daughter, Merry, would be about right, don't you think? :)
The plan is to live with the ugly sidewalk *sigh* and to widen out the rockline to the corner of it. In addition to separating the DG (decomposed granite ground cover) from the gravel driveway, the rockline is there for rain runoff from the house (we have canales). DH will be building a gate but it could be awhile! The gate will open "in."
This is south facing and gets pretty hot from the gravel driveway and the Tucson sun. I could do a potted plant, I suppose. I've got lots of brightly colored pots on my front porch but I'm thinking too much color there would be distracting.
I had originally wanted to put Corkscrew Vines on both sides of the entrance but now I'm thinking I'll just put them on the courtyard side... once I find the elusive vines, anyway!! I'm not sure I want something so green and flowery showing so much from the outside of the courtyard - and I don't want the numbers covered.
But the vines did have one bonus... symmetry without formality. I'll need something planted/potted on the other (garage) side of the entrance but I DON'T want it formal so I don't know that I want the same thing on both sides.
Suggestions?
