Favorites in a Designer's Garden

The gardens start along the parking area and driveway in front of the house. Here, wild Apache plume grows in huge swaths. Next to an adobe arch at the parking level is a clump of native blue penstemon.

The arch itself is cloaked in wisteria vine and flanked on each side by huge terra-cotta olive jars. Stone steps planted with low-growing sedum lead up to the front door. On either side of the risers is an adobe wall outfitted with a trellis made of re-bar and wood. Pink 'New Dawn' roses and English ivy grow on the walls.

The living room garden features a pinyon (a native pine and New Mexico’s state tree), a spectacular planting of white roses and a groundcover of blue catnip. A garden outside the family room features lavender, red penstemons, dark blue salvia, daylilies and golden yarrow. A bench looks out at a sweeping view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Yet another set of steps at the side of the house leads up to a covered patio. The walls of the house in this area are covered in Boston ivy, which boasts large, glossy-green leaves in summer.

A feature next to this patio is a mound which covers the roots of a native ponderosa pine Duncan saved during construction of the house. Tucked into the stones around the pine are various sedums; at the base of the tree is a small garden pool.

Several other small areas off the house include plantings of aspens and other native trees and shrubs. A tiny garden off a den at the back of the house contains a planting of red sedum and a trellis of climbing roses.

Duncan uses tough plants that can withstand the harsh winds and intense summer sun. Some of her favorites include:

Apache plume has an open, shrubby character; the semi-evergreen plant boasts fine leaves on twiggy branches for an overall gray-green appearance. White single flowers occur in early to mid spring followed by showy pink feathery seed clusters that persist well into autumn. Fallugia paradoxa is a member of the rose family and is hardy in USDA Zones 6 to 8.

How to use it: This is an excellent plant to prevent soil erosion and is ideal for xeriscaping. Plant in informal settings.
Cultivation: Site in full sun facing south or west. Apache plume likes poor sandy soil and should not be overwatered.
Source: For a list of retail outlets selling apache plume, contact Monrovia Growers (wholesale).