For all you landscapers...I need some suggestions.

I see artimisia, forgive me, as semi arid desert plants... never mind whether they're natives in that area, which most are, but their look..

What about their look osso. Evolution is the cause of that isn't it. Are you questioning evolution there?

You have a corny, domesticated plant zoo on your hands. You are taking advantage of the plants being rooted to the spot to save money on cages.

Now there was a strange sentence, Spendi.

Look? the eye is usually not pleased by the putting of a desert sagelike plant in a banana tree grove. But if that makes you happy, be my guest. It won't do well, in any case.

my taste far outpaces my income, but a lot of my plants are native varieties from a conservator friend of mine.

(he is federally sanctioned as a bird sanctuary...)

iff'n them sumbitches down the road can throw water at corn all summer, by god I can grow some tropical color with mine...

Nor that you would ever cite Thorstein Veblen as that would render you a blowhard and a liar but neither Osso nor Rockhead can, with reason, be labeled with conspicuous consumption. In fact I would opine that both are far more dedicated to conspicuous conservation. A concept you seem unfamiliar with aside from airline fuel consumption.

I haven't even got a car dys. I got rid of cars years ago when I realised that having one made it necessary to go somewhere in it and everywhere I went was a drag compared to lounging on the sofa reading my favourite authors. There is quite enough stupidity in the pub without having to go looking for it further afield.

I'm a hermit with every necessity amply catered for.

But I do think that there is an element of conspicuous consumption on this thread and on many others. Notice the exotic sounding names of the plants being mentioned. What's up with daisies and dandelions? They are free which is to say vulgar and nasty. But from an evolutionary point of view they are successful. It is harmful to a species to cosset it. Everybody knows that. Solicitous tending weakens an organism. It reminds me of an intensive care unit.

Are you suggesting that there is no connection between reputability and expense?

You know what else is free?

cuttings taken from plants already growing, and transplants of grasses and flowers that have sprung up from last years seeds.

sedem will grow wherever a little sprig of it is dropped on the ground

I have about 50 square feet covered with ice plants that originated from 4 little plants. They are covered with bees all day long, and will soon be covered with buttlerflies, and hopefully hummingbirds.
vinca will self seed year after year. Poppies drop seeds all over. Hen and chicks will spread like a carpet, as well as verbena and creeping phlox.

Don't talk to gardeners about conspicuous consumption. They grow beauty out of discarded orange rinds, coffee grounds and apple cores.

Do us all a favor and drink enough to pass out for a while.

Look chai- I'm not talking about your sort of gardener. I have supplied garden centres with various kit for many years and I knew the owners of them before they were bought out by the big retail chains. I get my living from the general public's love affair with conspicuous consumption. We have Veblen hanging on a nail in the office. Nine tenths of Yellow Pages are in Veblen.

I know gardening snobs from quite a distance. But I have to keep a straight face when discoursing with them. This is catharsis.

I am aware that it is instinctive in women to render a chap as skint as possible so that other women are not attracted to him. Garden centres are one of the many places one can see this process at work.

curses.

my clever little scheme has failed.

No--you're OK. I'll not tell anybody.

Once again - I just wanted to thank you all for your input. I am probably going for the Mondo grass in one area. Still - the main part have not made a final decision. I will let you all know when I figure it out...plus I am going today to get the book from the library for local plants. That should give me an idea of what will work and hopefully it will be some of the things you mentioned.

Thanks again.