Polka dots

The boulevard receives about 26 hours of sun a day in the summer. The lawn looked unhealthy and was awkward to water because this area has a lot of foot traffic. We traded tough plants for the lawn. Some plants were stepped on, used as watering posts by dogs, and stolen. The remaining plants are worthy of being called tough: Caryopteris, Podocarpus 'Red Tip,' Physocarpus 'Diablo,' Lavender, Berberis, Callicarpa, and Rudbeckia. We discovered a good trick is to plant perennials at the end of the season when they are not so attractive. They then have all winter and spring to root before they look their best in the summer. By then, their roots have grown strong, and they are not so easily yanked out of the ground by folks who find the plants are irresistible.