Growing a drought resistant garden
During the heatwave, I watered the garden by hand — for me, hand watering means spending time outdoors, enjoying my garden. While on my daily rounds, I made a mental note of a few plant combinations that handle the drought and manage to look fresh despite the heat.
The corner of our front border is a good example of drought resistant planting. The bed is raised with a dry stone border, the south-west exposure means it is very hot and dry — plants that do well in a Mediterranean climate would be ideal.
I’ll stop here and give you a little background. The local soil is heavy clay, when the garden was planted, we built up the beds and edged them with stone for better drainage, the lawn was replaced with pea gravel. It’s a move I have never regretted. About four years ago, we lost the ash tree on our boulevard. The garden abruptly went from semi-shade to full sun and the plants responded accordingly — the shade lovers disappeared, and sun loving echinacea, catmint, Russian sage, dwarf zebra grass, little bluestem, veronica and creeping thyme came into their own.
A bumper crop of echinacea appeared the summer after the tree disappeared, the seed must have been latent in the soil, ready and waiting for the perfect opportunity to come knocking. Echinacea is very self-sufficient, a magnet for bees, butterflies and finches enjoy the seed in the fall.
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a native grass, with pretty blue spikes that are nearly purple toward their base, and a tidy habit (reaching 30-45 cm tall). When autumn arrives, the leaves turn brilliant red. It is very self-sufficient, drought and heat tolerant, just cut it back in the early spring. The spiky blue-green foliage makes an interesting focal point in a sunny border.
Blue leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) offers glossy leaves that make a handsome ground cover (about 20 cm tall) until midsummer when starry blue flowers appear. By September, the blue flowers turn bright red, then fade to a deep wine colour as the days turn cool. Blue leadwort takes a few seasons to get established, be patient, it is worth the wait. Once established it is heat, humidity and drought tolerant, accepting full sun or part shade. In case you need more attributes, it is deer and bunny resistant, and attracts butterflies. Why don’t more people grow this beauty? It’s not very showy in May when we are aching for colour. If you can find it in a garden centre mid-summer to fall, you won’t be able to resist its blue flowers and handsome leaves.
Dwarf zebra grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Little Zebra’) is a compact selection that forms a midsized mound of green leaves with gentle yellow horizontal stripes. Deep pink to red plumes appear in the autumn, they gradually turn silver for the winter. The foliage turns an attractive buff colour for the winter, just cut it back to about 10 cm tall in the spring. This grass makes a self-sufficient anchor in a sunny border featuring white and pink coneflowers, blue leadwort and catmint.
Catmint (Nepeta ‘Dropmore Hybrid’) forms a low, bushy mound of fragrant grey-green leaves, that makes a perfect edging for a sunny border. Gentle spikes of bright blue flowers appear from May until the snow flies in my Niagara garden. The plants are back hard after the first flush of blooms fades, usually over the July 1st weekend. I offer the plants a long drink of water laced with water soluble fertilizer at this point and they respond quickly with fresh, compact growth and a second flush of colour that continues well into the autumn. Catmint is beloved by bees and butterflies, usually ignored by bunnies and deer, and it is very drought tolerant. Rosettes of catmint make a pretty carpet under tulips and daffodils, the plants fill in and flower just as the tulips begin to fade. Try these tips for watering:
Water your garden two to three times a week during the hot weather or extended drought. It is important to water deeply. To gauge the water, put a tuna can in the garden soil and don’t stop watering until it has collected at least 2.5 cm of water from the sprinkler.
Container grown plants need water every day during the heat because containers tend to dry out faster than the ground. Large containers will need less attention than small containers. When possible, an eastern exposure (morning sun, afternoon shade) is ideal during a hot spell.
Hand watering plants is another way to be more water efficient. I like to use a long handled watering wand, set to the shower setting, to give my plants a gentle, nourishing soak. Direct the water around the base of each plant and make sure the soil is thoroughly moist. Although more time consuming, this method ensures the plants that attention get a good long drink, besides, it gives me a chance to unwind and really enjoy the garden.
Watering guides suggest we avoid wetting the foliage to minimize the risk of disease, but if you use a sprinkler (or it rains) this is impossible. When practical, water early in the morning, the plants will start the day refreshed and the leaves will dry quickly when the sun comes up. Set up your sprinkler on a timer if you’re not a morning person.
An organic mulch like bark or chopped-up leaves spread on the ground around and under plants is a welcome barrier between the moist soil and the hot sun. A layer of mulch (five to eight cm deep) helps to hold in moisture and keep the roots cool. Bare soil bakes in the hot sun and needs watering more often. Ground covers, like creeping thyme, geraniums, or leadwort act as a living mulch, helping to keep the soil cool and moist during a drought.