X IS FOR XENOPHOBIC

I am not plantist but …. I do like an Australian native garden. 


X IS FOR XEROPHYTE

 
A xerophyte is a plant that needs very little water or that store its own water, like a cactus.
Xeriscaping is the practice of landscaping using drought-tolerant plants.

Having just come out the other end of a pretty long drought you would think that I would be champing at the bit to xeriscape my garden and do my bit to save the planet.  Wrong.

I know that I should be a bit more water wise and chuck in a few succulents but to be honest I find them ugly and useless.
I especially detest the white pebble mulch or the Mexican desert look when people xeriscape their yards.

No doubt I will be howled down by the hairy armpit succulent savers society but don’t waste your breath, cactus etc are aesthetically displeasing to me.

I do have a rosemary bush, she doesn’t need water very often and I get to flavour up my roast lamb – can you do that with a cactus?? I think not. 

Quite a few of our native plants and trees are drought tolerant, as well they should be after having 200,000 odd years to assimilate to the climate but as they are mostly trees of the 50 ft or more variety I cant see myself planting any of those.  

Does a jade plant qualify as a succulent?  If so I have one of those – in a pot.

I have heard of edible cactus plants but I don’t fancy chowing down on a bit of aloe vera, unless I scald my throat on a hot cup of tea of course, that would be soothing.

I am toying with the idea of a sign on my garden gate – this is a xerophyte free zone, with a bit of luck door knockers and hawkers will think I mean them.