Soil and Garden Question

Hello Pacific Northwest Gardeners!

How can I tell if my soil is clay/sandy/normal/acidic? I think it is safe to assume it is not sandy but the rest I'm not sure about. I was doing a search on the Bluestone Perennials for groundcovers that are deer resistant, dry tolerant, for part sun/shade but I don't know what to select for soil type.

Also, do any of you have suggestions for groundcovers fitting the above? I have heard that geraniums (low to ground type) would work. I've included a photo of the area from 2 years ago. The deer have eaten some of the flowers and a few haven't come back. That could be because I'm so inept at gardening though!

Any help would be most appreciated!

Here is another photo. This area is by the road leading up to the property. It's quite far from the house and as you can see by this photo, I don't have a sprinkler system. So that means dragging the ultra long string of heavy hoses down to that area. That's why I'm looking for drought tolerant plants. I just don't have time to dedicate to this area and it's getting harder and harder for me to drag the hoses around but I do want it to look nice for the Joneses... :)

Hi Nadine!
A few questions for you:
When is the time range for sun in this area?
Will you be watering infrequently or not at all?
How much area do you want to cover?
Height restrictions?
Colours?

The first year a plant is in the ground, it will need to be watered & watched to establish a healthy root system.
Some of the plants that do well in dryer soil & survive on a limited seasonal rainfall are those native to the meditteranean region - lavenders, hyssops, rosemary, oreganos, sages (ornamental & culinary). Also, Artemesias, Agastache, Penstemons, Lychnis, Sedums, and some of the grasses, such as Stipa tenuissima.
AS far as soil goes - what does it feel like to you? If you grab a ball of it, is it stiff? sticky? grainy? smooth? Form it into a ball & poke with your finger - does it fall apart readily, or stick together? Best thing to know your soil is to work in it, observe the type weeds that grow in it, & get a soil test.
A very good source for Xeric plants is High Country, out of Colorado. They have many wonderful plants, have great recommendations & are a good company to buy from.
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/?gclid=CKbomYH57JoCFQ6jagodq2oYBQ

Also - look on the DG Communities page, in the column "General Gardening"; at the bottom of the list is a forum dedicated to Xeriscaping.

Hi Katye,

Thanks for the great info!
>> AS far as soil goes - what does it feel like to you?
Good question! The soil is pretty hard once it is dry. Some of the soil on the far end where there's not much is dry/crumbly but in main area I'll have to check..

>> When is the time range for sun in this area?
There are some trees so it gets filtered sun at times but I'd say it gets full sun in the early to mid afternoon hours but I'll double check on this.

>> Will you be watering infrequently or not at all?
I would prefer not to water (once the plants are established) as it's just too far away. The neighbors grow sage right across the road if that means anything. They do get a bit more sun there though.

>> How much area do you want to cover?
All of it! :) The less weeding, the better. We just learned about weed preventative material and bark mulch so we will probably incorporate that as well.

>> Height restrictions?
I think I'm mainly interested in ground cover but have seen these terrific looking shrubs around here lately that I really like. I think they have little yellow flowers and are fairly low to the ground. I'm wondering if those are the oregano you mentioned.

>> Colours? Love them all but realize it could be limited to just a few due to the conditions. I love lavender and would put it everywhere if I could but I'm not sure there is enough sun.

I will check out the site you mentioned today and double check the soil, sun, etc. Thanks so much for all the helpful tips!

Hi,
I second Katye's recommendation for High Country Gardens. Their website also has lots of very helpful tips on growing xeric plants. And, the plants I've bought from them have done very, very well. They even sell sets of preplanned gardens. And, Agastache and Penstemon are total hummingbird magnets. Agastache foliage often smells wonderful, too.

I've got lavender growing in partial shade and it does just fine. It might not bloom quite as much, but it's fine. I think drainage is more important.

Potentilla is a smallish shrub that has little yellow flowers (there are a few other colors too) that might be the plant you're looking at-there are lots of different ones
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/search.php?q=potentilla&Search=Search+PlantFiles

Thanks, susybell! That's good news about the lavendar!

Regarding the Potentilla, I just saw those plants again today. I should have taken my camera! They look like one of the plants in the link you provided. Here it is:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/115083/

The requirement says full sun. :(

The plants I saw today look perfect though and fall close to the ground or right on the ground. Quite nice. Perhaps I'll find something similar on the High Country Gardens for part sun. Going there as soon as I finish up some work.

Thanks again!

Lavender here is pretty tough, as long as it doesn't sit in water. Rosemary is a close second.

These guys beat me to the recommendations. High Country Gardens is a wonderful place to get xeriscape plants for sun.

Given that you live in the Pacific Northwest, you're probably going to end up doing some weeding, especially if you water and feed in the summer. Landscape fabric is a great short-term solution, but it's not done right, it can look odd and can also be a pain to deal with when (because eventually you will) you change your mind.

Welcome to DG!! Look for posts by Redchic and Sally, who live just south of you.

Thanks Katie! Will do.

Nadine - don't be discouraged by plant tags/info that says "full sun" - the plants will still grow in a shadier location and be healthy, but the floral display will not be as full.

Drainage is key - most plants do not grow well in stiff, sticky soil.

Re - lanscape fabric. I am not a fan of this stuff, but it certainly has its place. I ripped out all that I had installed, and decided to use newspaper or cardboard instead. Both of them break down in the soil, and are malleable when wet, allowing you to mold it to the land you are covering. Cover with mulch or bark - very cheap & improves the soil in the long term.

Another option for you is to terrace the area to be planted - much easier to work with, and you can position plants so that as the planting basin overflows, it spills down to the next level of plants. I did this in my orchard & it saved me a lot of time/water.

Thanks, Katye! Great info. I do have a lavender plant growing in another area - kind of neglected it as it's in a garden area hidden from view. I checked on it today and it seems to be growing without full sun so that's good news!