Xeriscape ideas for San Diego: Ground covers that can take the heat

When designing a landscape for San Diego and trying to implement xeriscape ideas, I love to incorporate roses.  Roses come in a huge variety of sizes, growth habits, textures, and colors, and I especially find carpet roses, (ground cover roses) to be one of the most useful and toughest plants in the landscape.

Carpet roses can be used as a medium to low water use foundation plant with a long lasting season of color.  They can be incorporated into a drought tolerant planting bed, planned to grow and overflow over a stone wall or used when edging a bed.  Carpet roses can make a wonderful specimen plant within a container as a stand alone plant or integrated with other plants.  They also make a gorgeous statement when used as an erosion control on a slope or bank.  The patented Flower Carpet roses are grown by Tesselar plants and below is a photo of my own Flower Carpet in ‘Scarlet’ out by the road that receives very little supplemental water.

Another great ground cover rose are the beautiful Drift roses by Star.  They are a cross between full-size ground cover roses and miniatures.  They feature colors such as ‘Apricot’, Coral and a favorite of mine, Popcorn that is shown below.  Photos courtesy of Star Roses.

There are climbing and rambling roses for enhancing walls and fences.  Rambling roses, such as the ‘Dorothy Perkins’ rambler are generally very fragrant.  And one of my favorite climbing roses is the ‘Joseph’s Coat’ by Jackson and Perkin’s.

Carpet roses used as ground covers should do wonderfully in many parts of San Diego county such as in Alpine, El Cajon or San Marcos.  And these roses can be found at your local San Marcos or Poway Nursery or the closest nursery in your area.

If you would like to have a xeriscape landscape consultation or design for your yard using ground cover roses,  please feel free to contact me.