Drought-Tolerant Plants

Posted on March 7, 2008 by Joyce Benson   Add a Comment |
Tag(s): Going Green, Money Saving, The Great Green Outdoors

If you’re like me, you’ve been bitten by the spring fever bug. Finally, signs of spring are beginning to emerge. As I anxiously await the blooming of flowers, my mind is drawn to plans of tending to the garden.

Generally, I plant native annuals and perennials because they are naturally suited for the area that I live in, and therefore require less water, fertilizer and maintenance. Native species are more pest- and disease-resistant too.

This Old House has a lovely series of photos with brief, but informative descriptions of drought-resistant annuals and perennials including corresponding hardiness zones for each type of plant. Click here to see a national hardiness zone map.

Annuals are those plants that need to be replaced yearly, while perennials continue to bloom year-after-year. It’s easy enough to plant annuals from seed (which is the least expensive way) when the ground is warm enough. They typically grow fast, will bloom for the upcoming season, and die at the end of the season (leaving less maintenance for you).

Perennials, on the other hand, are slower growing, fully maturing in about 3 years. Since they continue growing every year, they need to be dug up and divided every-so-often to avoid overcrowding. But the perks to perennials include not having to replant new bulbs, seeds or plants every year.

Composting your kitchen scraps and select yard debris will be especially helpful to the growth of your plants. Plus, it saves waste from overfilling the landfill. Here’s a link to help you start composting.

I’m off to the Philadelphia Flower Show this weekend, where I’ll get to see displays of a green roof, rock garden and native plantings.  Should be quite inspiring.

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