Sometimes the solution to a dilemma is sitting right in front of you and you miss it. For me, it took almost a year to realize that the answer to my question of what to plant to hide the edging around my patio was sitting right in my front yard, under an oak tree.





Artemisia.

I have planted this beauty in several gardens, and repeatedly remind myself to use it more often. Its lacy texture, silvery color and woodsy fragrance are unbeatable. Reportedly deer will make it one of the last items on their menu. Also a plus for those of us gardening in, once again, a summer of extreme drought in Texas: Artemisia is drought-tolerant.

Now I am growing this pretty, fragrant plant around the border of my patio, thanks to a two-for-one sale of 4-inch pots at a local nursery. If you are interested in artemisia, here is a bit of information:

When I went to a landscape workshop a few years back, it populated the garden of the church that hosted the workshop, a good example of what to grow in the sandy soils of the Hill Country. It is in the asteraceae family, which includes the daisy, aster and sunflower. There are between 200 and 400 species of artemisia that we know of.

Artemisia is a native of the Mediterranean and takes its name from a Greek botanist and medical researcher.  It is a herbaceous perennial. That means its stems are soft and will die back to the ground in colder areas. In some climates, it is evergreen.

Although it is not a Texas native, don't let that keep you from using it if you are trying to grow plants that do not need much water. It's just too good to pass up, as it looks great next to a variety of plants, requires little care except for cutting back in the spring to keep it from being too leggy, and has the reputation of growing up fast. It can get 2 to 4 feet high and up to 6 feet wide.  

It likes full sun but will also tolerate some shade. Just don't give it much water, especially in the shade. In a former landscape, I had it planted in three places. All got full sun but two got more water than the third. Guess which one flourished; yep, the driest one. Try to partner it with companion plants that have similar water needs.

Finally, know that some varieties of artemisia have been used as an insecticide, to treat internal parasites and in liquers. It is also known as wormwood.