
Blues and Grays Abound -
2014 Greener Gardens Design Winner
This landscape is the result of a homeowner who was ready to make the change and was fortunate enough to be the winner of a free landscape design at the 2014 Elk Grove Greener Gardens EXPO & Garden Tour.The homeowner had already removed all of the lawn and had established the framework of the landscape by installing the low wall, entry arbor and inviting steps leading to the front entry. However Like most homeowners, the selection and composition of appropriate plants was where they needed design help.
EGGG organizers met with the owner last summer to discuss design ideas and ultimately prepare a planting plan. Soleil Tranquilli of Tranquill Gardens designed a garden composed solely of low to very low water requirement plants. Some are California natives and others are UC Davis Arboretum All-Star selections (ie. Western Redbud, Snow-in-Summer and Australian Bluebell). The common thread throughout the plant composition is the use of blue and gray foliaged plants to complement the turquoise front door and other outdoor accents and accessories. Many native and drought tolerant plants naturally have blue gray foliage which reflects heat and allows plants to transpire at a slower rate and therefore require less water.
The homeowner took the next several months to amend and nurture the soil, convert the original spray irrigation system to drip irrigation, purchase and install plants, apply mulch and accessorize the garden. The result is a river-friendly winner, chockfull of blue and gray foliaged California natives and drought tolerant plants.


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Plant List
- Western Redbud,
Cercis occidentalis - Desert Willow,
Chilopsis linearis - Nagami Kumquat,
Citrus ‘Kumquat Nagami’ - Cut Leaf Lilac,
Syringa x laciniata - Chaste Tree,
Vitex agnus-castus - Little Ollie™ Olive,
Olea europaea ‘Little Ollie’ - Compact Jerusalem Sage,
Phlomis fruticosa compacta - Top Hat Dwarf Blueberry,
Vaccinium ‘Top Hat’ - Yarrow,
Achillea millefolium ‘Moonshine’ - Snow-In-Summer,
Cerastium tomentosum - Sunset Rockrose,
Cistus ‘Sunset’ - Silver Carpet,
Dymondia margaretae - Siskyou Blue Fescue,
Festuca idahoensis ‘Siskyou Blue’ - Lavender Trumpet Vine,
Clytostoma callistegioides - Lady Banks Rose,
Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’ - Australian Bluebell,
Sollya heterophylla - Jack Spratt Flax,
Phormium ‘Jack Spratt’ - Potato Vine,
Solanum laxa - Geranium,
Geranium species