I know how frustrating watering can be. So fickle, yet so important to get exactly right. Trust me, I KNOW. I’d sure like to do less of it. I’m making this part two of my watering summer plants post specifically because of how much there is to it. Click here to go to my first one, which was how to water what you already have in your garden. In this one I’ll talk to preventative measures that can take some of the stress out of watering.
In some places, you have no choice but to do less watering, because of government attempts to conserve water during the summer. When I moved from the Midwest to California, I was most astonished because all the yards had such giant gardens and tiny grass cover. Grass takes a lot of water to maintain, more than many varieties of flowering plants, which is good news for gardening. To further ease the pressure of watering there are drought resistant plants. Breck’s online has a large collection of them, here.
Many drought resistant plants, as you’ll see if you stroll down a residential neighborhood in California, are more foliage based. Big, uniquely shaped leaves protect the plant from the sun and collect moisture for the plant better. But working for Breck’s, I’d very much rather big bright perennials for a colorful garden! The Butterfly Hybrid Coneflower Mixture can help with that, coneflowers are one of the best perennials for resisting drought. It’ll give you a spectacular blend of color, too! It’s an easy to grow plant with a very long bloom time, even in that dreaded summer sun!
If you’re particularly attached to some water-hogs, don’t despair. There are a few ways to keep your favorites and still ration water. Put those plants needing more water together, so you can focus watering on them and waste less on plants that don’t need it. Or, get a planter. Big outdoor pots can add a visual dynamic to the yard, and you can focus the right amount of water for that specific plant without overwatering the rest of your yard.
Any favorite drought resistant plants? I’d love to hear about them, comment below!
