Bone-dry soil? Worry not! There’s other options for you than that crisp-brown lawn for a garden. Shrubs, perennials, climbing plants… Take a look at our selection of drought-resistant plants!
Here are two shrubs that will do very good in a dry plot! Whether in a hedge, shrub bed or pots, they’ll provide resilient landmarks for your garden. The orange tree grows into a cute round shape, which is truly magnified in Spring when it’s covered with white flowers. And you’ll find the one-of-a-kind blooming of the Bougainvillea stunning!
Variety:Bougainvillea spectabilis x glabra ‘Violet de Mèze’
Blooming period: May to September
Features: abundant blooming, we particularly love its bright violet bracts that cover the whole plant
Exposure: full sun
Soil: rich, dry, neutral to acidic
Cherry on the top? This variety is hardier than other, it can deal with temperatures as low as 20°F (-5°C)
Perennials that can live through drought
Even at the heart of a dry, rainless summer, these still pack an ornamental punch for the garden. Acanthus, so generous with its long flower panicles, and artemisia with its silvery foliage.
Acanthus:
Variety:Acanthus mollis
Blooming period: June to August
Features:humungous towers of flowers hosting dozens of pinkish-white flowers. Even its giant fleshy leaves are amazing
Exposure: sun, part sun, shade
Soil:dry to cool, neutral to alkaline
Cherry on the top? Its two-foot height (60 cm) and the volume it brings to any flower bed
White wormwood:
Variety:Artemisia alba ‘Canescens’
Blooming period: September to October
Features: frilled silver leafage that forms low-lying pillows in rock beds and growing beds
Exposure: full sun
Soil:dry to cool, neutral to alkaline
Cherry on the top? A medicinal plant that reinforces the immune system and helps fight against a great many diseases
Climbers that can grow in dry soil
To quickly cover a wall or trellis even in very dry soil, count on the trumpet (or hummingbird) vine. Its original flowers won’t fail to surprise you in Summer! To decorate a terrace or balcony without spending your day watering your plants, a great choice is the ‘Baby Star’ clematis.
Easy to care for, grasses excel at creating modern designer flower beds. Those that love blue hues will splurge for fescue, whereas people who prefer pink won’t be able to resist Muhlenbergia.
Features: thin leaves gathered into wonderful metallic blue pillows
Exposure: full sun
Soil: dry and poor
Cherry on the top? Grows in any type of poor soil: rocky garden, dry, along edges, in a flower bed… you can even grow it instead of lawn grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris:
Variety:Muhlenbergia capillaris
Blooming period: September to November
Interest: evergreen foliage atop which a light and vapor-like blooming appears, flowering into panicles of vintage pink colors
Exposure: full sun
Soil: neutral to chalky and dry
Cherry on the top? Decidedly graphic for a modern flower bed
Herbs that love dry substrates
Don’t forget those spices! In rocky terrain, in growing beds, or even in pots set right by the house, give thyme and rosemary a go: they both love dry soil.
Golden lemon thyme:
Variety:Thymus citriodorus ‘Aureus’
Blooming period: July to August
Features: apart from its citrusy taste, this variety boasts cute little round yellow and green leaves
Exposure: full sun
Soil:dry, neutral to alkaline
Cherry on the top? Its medicinal benefits: thyme is an antiseptic, an antibiotic, anti-infectious and is also anti-bacterial
Variety: Choisya ternata
Variety: Bougainvillea spectabilis x glabra ‘Violet de Mèze’
Variety: Acanthus mollis
Variety: Artemisia alba ‘Canescens’
Variety: Campsis radicans ‘Atropurpurea’
Variety: Clematis ‘Baby Star’
Variety: Festuca ‘Intense Blue’
Variety: Muhlenbergia capillaris
Variety: Thymus citriodorus ‘Aureus’
Variety: Rosmarinus officinalis
