Weekend Gardener: Drought Resistant Plants

May 29, 2015

May 29th, 2015 – Williamson County Weekend Gardener

It may seem crazy to be thinking about drought-resistant plants amidst a pretty wet stretch we’ve been in since Memorial Day, but think about the 3+ weeks prior to Memorial Day with ZERO precipitation. And think about July and August, when we typically go long, hot, dry stretches that really put many of our plants under stress (not to mention making a lot of watering chores for us).

Several years ago when I moved and had the opportunity to start completely from scratch with a brand new landscape, I purposely integrated a lot of drought-resistant plants; mainly because if you select well you can get tons of hassle-free, zero-maintenance color into your garden. It’s taken a lot of trial and error to get the right plants in the right spots, but it was well-worth the effort. These plants typically do just as well if it’s not dry, too.

Here are a few plant ideas I’ve had a lot of success with locally here in Williamson County, from a recent article in Birds and Blooms Magazine:

Agastache

There are seemingly a zillion versions of Agastache, and a color range of purple, blue, pink, and more. New varieties of Agastache seem to pop up all the time. This is a fast-growing plant that could care less if it rains. It puts out a ton of blooms, and butterflies and bees LOVE it.

Catmint (Nepeta)

Great groundcover that doesn’t seem to care whether it rains or not. The classic version puts out beautiful, low-growing silvery foliage and then erupts in the most beautiful blue you’ve ever seen. It seems like as many tiny blooms on this plant as stars in a night sky.

Ornamental Grasses

I’ve used several different ornamental grasses quite successfully. One of my favorites is called Allegro. It stays where you put it (non-invasive), fills a large area and grows to about 6′ tall, and then in the Fall puts on the most beautiful seed heads, and all Winter long gives you strong interest in the garden. We love the sound of the wind blowing through it in the Fall and Winter. And it’s an easily-shareable plant; we divide these every few years and donate them and give them to friends. A great plant that could care less about how much rain we get.

Sedum

Sedum is another one of those plants that has seemingly endless varieties. My favorite is Autumn Fire. This grows VERY well here in Williamson County, regardless of how much rain falls. This is also a plant you can divide pretty regularly in the Fall.

Starting next week, we’re going to start featuring photos of great gardens, landscapes, and planters we find all over Williamson County. If you’ve got something you’re really proud of, please send a photo(s) to [email protected], and please include your first name, last initial, and your city. We’ve love to feature you!

Williamson County Gardening Resources: