Drought Hardy Planting

While we continue to get the occasional shower in Sydney, much of the state remains in drought. This may leave you wondering how you can have a beautiful landscape without a lot of water coming from the sky.

Yes you can still use your watering systems and hoses for the time being, but it wasn't that long ago that we could not. Sydney gardens need to be far more drought tolerant so that we are not straining our water resources.

Here are some great choices of plants for you

Agarve

Agaves store water in their thick foliage and send their roots deep below the soil surface to collect the water available. The Leaf has sharp edges. Landscapers often use agaves due to the unusual shape of their foliage, and of course, they are low care and drought tolerant plants.

Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is a champion in tolerating the drought. It seems to be one of the toughest shrubs that thrive on neglect in extreme and intense conditions. This colourful plant is easy to grow too.

Verbena

Verbena is an excellent ground cover that spreads rapidly and thrives in high heat and a little water. It comes in many colours and blooms in clusters from Spring to Autumn (year round in warm climates). It needs full sun and well-drained soil.

Oleander

Oleander is a tropical shrub that blooms prolifically. It produces beautiful fragrant flowers of different colours, like yellow, pink, red, white and purple. Oleander is known to adapt well to hot and dry climates and grows very well in coastal areas. It prefers full sun but doesn’t mind a few hours of shade too.

Sage

This perennial, drought-resistant herb is famous for its aromatic flavour. The best time to grow is when the weather starts to warm up after the frost (and when there is abundant sunshine). Sage has low watering requirements, and overwatering can kill the plant quickly.

Poppy

Thanks to the vibrant colours, poppies are the biggest attraction in any garden or a patio. To grow poppies all you need is a sufficient exposure to sun and low to moderate watering.

Sedum

Known for its resistance to drought, it is sufficient to water it once a week in the spring and summer and, if required, once a month in winter. This plant grows well in all soil types and prefers plenty of light and sunshine.

Lavender

This unmistakable flowering herb is a beautiful perennial and needs no introduction. It is easy to grow and tolerant of heat and drought and offers the perfect combination of colour and aroma. You can also plant it in the pot, just be sure the pot has good drainage because the plant can not tolerate excess water.

Euphorbia

Most of the plants from the Euphorbia genus tolerates the scarcity of water easily and don’t require special attention. The plants from this genus are found in almost every part of the world, from short living annuals to tall perennials.

Cactus and Succulents

Not only the cactuses and succulents need less water, but they are also low-maintenance and easy to grow. During the period of drought, these tough plants shrink and use the reserved water. There are many cacti and succulent varieties that you can choose to grow.