How to have a beautiful spring garden despite drought

In these times of severe drought in many parts of the country, consumers are desperate for plants that will make their gardens shine in spite of water restrictions. The secret is selecting plants that are naturally not thirsty.

Prudent gardeners select companion plants with similar water needs, both in the landscape and in containers. In either location, avoid rich soil and fertilizer that encourage soft, water-thirsty growth. The trick is to keep young plants watered during the first two to four weeks while they become established, and after that they will be fine. After planting, spreading a layer of gravel or organic mulch on top of the soil will help reduce surface water loss through evaporation.

To try low-water planting

Gardening

in your own garden, follow these suggestions.

• Top your list with 'Diamond Frost' euphorbia, an easy-care, deer-resistant plant from Proven Winners. Its 10- to 12-inch-tall, mounded plants can reach up to 2 feet across. Even in extreme heat, they sparkle with clouds of airy self-cleaning flowers all season long. In containers, water 'Diamond Frost' as little as once a week, but when planted in the ground it seldom needs additional water, even during very dry spells.

• Self-cleaning Cuphea llavea 'Totally Tempted' displays a profusion of 1-inch-wide, lavender-throated, fiery-red blooms that attract hummingbirds throughout the season.

• Chrysocephalum apiculatum 'Flambe Yellow' and 'Flambe Orange' are Australian shrubs that sport clusters of brilliant yellow or orange knobs of flowers at the end of silver-hairy trailing stems. Try a large container with shrubby, shiny-leaved 'Petit Bleu' caryopteris as the "thriller," surrounded with 'Diamond Frost' and 'Flambe Yellow' or 'Flambe Orange' spilling over the edges.

• Another good trailer for containers or as a ground cover is lantana 'Luscious Grape.' The new low-water, heat-tolerant selection with heads of large, bright purple flowers attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Their rough-to-the-touch surface cuts water evaporation. Pair this with 2- to 4-inch-tall lavender pink cleome 'Senorita Rosalita' and 'Diamond Frost' for a long-blooming, designer look.

While periods of dry weather are nothing new, the frequency and degree of drought that certain regions are experiencing are critical. We may need to confine our old favorite annuals to containers where they can be babied, possibly with recycled household water. Change is always unsettling, but gardeners must adapt their mindset and search for plants that laugh at the sun. The palette is broader than we think.

For more information on plants for low-water gardening, visit www. provenwinners. com/ idea27.

Courtesy of ARAcontent