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Spring Bloom: Penstemons Create a Desert Wash Effect

At the Paradise Valley, Arizona, home of Daniel and Lisa Dell'Osso, a planting mimics a natural desert wash. At peak spring bloom, pink penstemon (P. parryi and P. pseudospectabilis) and red firecracker penstemon (P. eatonii) dominate. Trees include acacia (center) and mesquite (left and right). A mulch of decomposed granite covers the soil.

DESIGN: Greg Trutza, New Directions in Landscape Architecture, Phoenix (602/264-5202).

Landscaping: Penstemon Pruning Guide: Extend Blooms and Protect Plants; Penstemon 'Garnet'; Beardlip Penstemon (Penstemon barbatus); Cardinal Penstemon (Penstemon cardinalis); Foxglove Penstemon (Penstemon digitalis); Penstemon nitidus; Palmer's Penstemon (Penstemon palmeri); Penstemon (Beardtongue): Native Wildflower for Hot, Sunny Gardens; Penstemon – Colorful Tubular Spikes, Waterwise Perennial; Awash in Daisies: Wildflower Meadow in Tucson

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