My place has white-tailed deer. I want to plant some kind of border on the
long driveway for appearance sake. Deer should not be engorging my efforts
towards this goal. I do not want any hedge of any sort. Want something the
riding mower can maneuver around.

The soil along the driveway border is around 5" deep, heavily laden with
gravel. Soil is a brown clay. Below 5" is caliche. Can ligustrum work in
this kind of central TX environment and soil? Plan to place these 80"
apart, and trim like a tree, not a bush.

--
Dave

My vote in this primary was for the lesser
of many evils...

On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:39:17 -0500, "Dioclese" NONE wrote:

My place has white-tailed deer. I want to plant some kind of border on the
long driveway for appearance sake. Deer should not be engorging my efforts
towards this goal. I do not want any hedge of any sort. Want something the
riding mower can maneuver around.

The soil along the driveway border is around 5" deep, heavily laden with
gravel. Soil is a brown clay. Below 5" is caliche. Can ligustrum work in
this kind of central TX environment and soil? Plan to place these 80"
apart, and trim like a tree, not a bush.


Driveway borders is often a landscaping mistake. Why would you want
your driveway to look like an airline run way? Why focus attention
on the driveway? Instead, create a bump or feature that will
complement the house or front door, not the garage.

"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:39:17 -0500, "Dioclese" NONE wrote:

My place has white-tailed deer. I want to plant some kind of border on
the
long driveway for appearance sake. Deer should not be engorging my
efforts
towards this goal. I do not want any hedge of any sort. Want something
the
riding mower can maneuver around.

The soil along the driveway border is around 5" deep, heavily laden with
gravel. Soil is a brown clay. Below 5" is caliche. Can ligustrum work
in
this kind of central TX environment and soil? Plan to place these 80"
apart, and trim like a tree, not a bush.


Driveway borders is often a landscaping mistake. Why would you want
your driveway to look like an airline run way? Why focus attention
on the driveway? Instead, create a bump or feature that will
complement the house or front door, not the garage.


Let me count:

House faces directly south, faces away from the street behind a stand of
oaks and ashe junipers as viewed from the street.

The route from the front gate from the gravel portion of the driveway to the
front of the house has a temporary rock/gravel/concrete path for footing.
Steep incline. Plan to stairstep with concrete in the future. Don't want
to mess with shrub or otherwise border while doing that.

General area from street along driveway and much further back away from
street is extremely lacking except for 3 trimmed ashe junipers. I cut all
the native grasses and brush back for a fireblock.

The driveway DOES look line a runway due to the surrounding lack of foliage.
Its an awful long driveway like an airplane runway to additionally add to
that appearance. It is slightly curved however.

I plan to put the ligustrum in the middle of the run of the concrete portion
of driveway. Halfway between the street and garage. Run is 150' long for
the concrete portion that terminates at the stand-alone garage.

--
Dave

My vote in this primary was for the lesser
of many evils...

"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:39:17 -0500, "Dioclese" NONE wrote:

My place has white-tailed deer. I want to plant some kind of border on
the
long driveway for appearance sake. Deer should not be engorging my
efforts
towards this goal. I do not want any hedge of any sort. Want something
the
riding mower can maneuver around.

The soil along the driveway border is around 5" deep, heavily laden with
gravel. Soil is a brown clay. Below 5" is caliche. Can ligustrum work
in
this kind of central TX environment and soil? Plan to place these 80"
apart, and trim like a tree, not a bush.

Ligustrum is on the do not plant list in Central Texas, but here is a
link with about as much information as you will need to plant anything
in both deep and shallow soils. In your searching on the page, there
is a pdf version of a booklet you can get for free at one of the
listed nurseries.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watershed/plantlist.htm

Odd, at my parent's home while I was growing up, they had a line of
ligustrum they used for a left side property line. It was in north San
Anonio. The same ligustrum is still there.

Thanks for the link.

--
Dave

My vote in this primary was for the lesser
of many evils...

"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 09:20:07 -0500, "Dioclese" NONE wrote:


http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watershed/plantlist.htm

Odd, at my parent's home while I was growing up, they had a line of
ligustrum they used for a left side property line. It was in north San
Anonio. The same ligustrum is still there.

Thanks for the link.

Yes, I know. It was overused much like the way Photinia was used and
most of that is not open to a virus in the soil and most of the
Photinia's are now perishing up in DFW.

I have Ligustrums out back. They are evergreen and give shelter to
the birds, but I wouldn't plant them anywhere again. It's on the do
not plant list because it is pushing out native species due to its
hardiness.

Again, that's odd. The ligustrums didn't go anywhere else except where they
were planted. They made plenty of those blue-colored berries. Maybe the
lawnmower inhibited any new growth? But that makes no sense either in
regards to pushing out native species statement. Most lawns/yards don't
contain native species. Puzzled.

--
Dave

My vote in this primary was for the lesser
of many evils...

"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:56:32 -0500, "Dioclese" NONE wrote:

"Jangchub" wrote in message
. ..
On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 09:20:07 -0500, "Dioclese" NONE wrote:


http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watershed/plantlist.htm

Odd, at my parent's home while I was growing up, they had a line of
ligustrum they used for a left side property line. It was in north San
Anonio. The same ligustrum is still there.

Thanks for the link.

Yes, I know. It was overused much like the way Photinia was used and
most of that is not open to a virus in the soil and most of the
Photinia's are now perishing up in DFW.

I have Ligustrums out back. They are evergreen and give shelter to
the birds, but I wouldn't plant them anywhere again. It's on the do
not plant list because it is pushing out native species due to its
hardiness.

Again, that's odd. The ligustrums didn't go anywhere else except where
they
were planted. They made plenty of those blue-colored berries. Maybe the
lawnmower inhibited any new growth? But that makes no sense either in
regards to pushing out native species statement. Most lawns/yards don't
contain native species. Puzzled.

It depends on where you live. If the climate is right, ligustrum is
easily spread by seed. It is where I live. I have a WWF and TPaW
Certified Backyard Habitat and 90 percent of my plants are natives.

Couldn't locate any place to beat the price. 3 for 10 bucks. Bout' a foot
tall each ligustrum. Don't see this plant displacing anything locally,
ever, based on what I've seen in the past.

Ever hear of a Texas Ash?
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/o...ustexensis.htm
Found the plastic tag identifier on 3 such trees landscaping a local parking
lot. Want to mix up the local native trees with something else that will
survice a local drought. Will this tree, if prolific, displace the local
trees?

--
Dave

My vote in this primary was for the lesser
of many evils...

"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:17:07 -0500, "Dioclese" NONE wrote:

Couldn't locate any place to beat the price. 3 for 10 bucks. Bout' a
foot
tall each ligustrum. Don't see this plant displacing anything locally,
ever, based on what I've seen in the past.

Ever hear of a Texas Ash?
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/o...ustexensis.htm
Found the plastic tag identifier on 3 such trees landscaping a local
parking
lot. Want to mix up the local native trees with something else that will
survice a local drought. Will this tree, if prolific, displace the local
trees?


Obviously a native tree is fine. Ligustrum is on a DO NOT PLANT list.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/growgreen...g_invasive.pdf


Their basis on the top of the page is "They grow outside desired boundaries,
out-competing native species." Not valid from where I sit.

Based on my soil type and lack of rain, don't see how any could spread to
begin with. I can see this in looser soil with adequate rainfall or
irrigation. The birds and browsers don't bother these type berries. If
they per chance did, see first sentence. Any runners will be mowed down, if
growth pops up. Your area may be more susceptible as you have bottom land.

They may not survive due to the soil type and want for water in the first
season. If so, I'll try the Texas Ash next season in their current
location.
--
Dave

My vote in this primary was for the lesser
of many evils...