Common name:Sago-Palm
Botanical name:Cycas revoluta
Sago Palm resembles small palms; it is evergreen. It can slowly grow to 10'. It is used for a tropical effect and also looks great in planters. In the low desert, light shade and additional moisture are best. Side sprouts can form multi-trunked individuals. Apply fertilizer at leaf expansion. This plant has few pests.
Common name:Mother-of-Thyme, Creeping Thyme
Botanical name:Thymus serpyllum
This evergreen ground cover needs full sun to light shade. It grows to 3" tall, forming a dense, thick mat. It needs well-drained, light soil. Creeping Thyme is considered drought tolerant. The foliage is dark green and slightly hairy. It has a pleasant, minty fragrance when crushed, though not considered for culinary uses. Flowers are lilac purple and bloom in the summer. It attracts bees and butterflies.
Photographer: GardenSoft
Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.
Check the soil's moisture level before watering.
You can reduce your water use 20-50% by regularly checking the soil before watering.
Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.