Inspiring a Water-Wise Garden
Consumers are growing more conscious of the environment, and that is in a large part due to drought conditions and water restrictions. And regardless of drought, consumers obviously want a garden that is easy to maintain, which means less watering required.
In the August issue of GPN, Maria Zampini, president of Upshoot LLC, wrote an article, “Wise About Water,” where she shared her experiences with water-wise gardening.
She shares, “CAST16 was my fourth year in California working Spring trials for the HGTV HOME Plant Collection. But, this year was decidedly different than all the rest; there had been rain. The drive to and from Los Angeles to Edna Valley Vineyards in San Luis Obispo provided vistas that were actually green and filled with flowers instead of looking brown and dusty. Despite this moment of sweet water reprieve, California and many areas still remain in some level of drought.”
So what can you do to help gardeners achieve success in these conditions? You can offer drought-tolerant plants, of course!
And if you’re looking for options worth adding to your production, look no further. Zampini highlights some tried-and-true water-wise plant options in her article. Here are a few to get the ball rolling, but if you’d like to read the full article, click here.
Sempervivum ‘Chick Charms Gold Nugget’
Great Garden Plants
Gold Nugget presents a fluorescent pop of color and is the first gold-foliaged sempervivum. It joins more than 12 different colorful hens and chicks, which make up the Chick Charms series.
Delosperma Jewel of Desert
Concept Plants
Perhaps not as well known, another succulent to consider is delosperma. The Jewel of Desert series includes nine striking colors. They thrive in full sun, hardly need any water and continuously flower throughout the growing season.
Heuchera ‘Champagne’
Terra Nova Nurseries
While not the typical “desert” plant, heuchera ‘Champagne’ is surprisingly drought tolerant. This variety is a villosa type, which has gold new growth that becomes an amber yellow.
Stachys ‘Bello Grigio’
Dümmen Orange
Who doesn’t love a plant that begs to be touched? ‘Bello Grigio’ is a perennial that will be an annual in some parts of the country. Its fuzzy, slender leaves provide a perfect backdrop to highlight bright-colored flowers.
What drought-tolerant plants are you growing? Have you seen an increase in their popularity? Shoot me an email, and let me know. I’d love to hear from you.
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