Drought Tolerant Gardens

If your property is in an area which becomes very dry over summer, and your local council enforces hosepipe bans on a regular basis then a drought tolerant planting scheme should be considered. A suitable garden scheme can be achieved by using plant species from drier climates, such as the Mediterranean, Australasia and South America. These species can sustain longer periods of drought without suffering from water stress. They are normally equipped with various leaf and stem adaptations to combat water loss.

There is such a variety of plants available that no drought-tolerant scheme need look the same!

An alternative option is to use plant species indigenous to your own local area, these can work as drought tolerant plantings, they are growing in a situation which they have evolved to cope with.

Alongside a planting scheme designed to cope, you can also think about diverting water run-off from the guttering and roof into a rain barrel, or even fitting an underground tank and installing a grey-water recycling system.

Bear in mind though, even drought tolerant plants need watering until their root systems become established.