Green up Your Garden with Drought-Tolerant Plants

You can reduce the quantity of water consumed in your yard by about 50%. It is achievable by planting drought-tolerant plants that drink less water compared to other shrub types. Deciding to green your garden with drought-tolerant plant doesn't mean you compromise on color or variety – it only requires a little homework from you before your next nursery visit. 

While making your selection for a drought tolerant plant, you might not get the replica of a water-hungry plant – but you might get a similar plant that's less water hungry. At first, even drought-tolerant plants would need water to grow before they can survive on their own. After planting, you might need to keep watering for a few weeks to several months before plants are strong enough to be on their own. The plants require occasional watering in situations of prolonged drought. 

A great way to ensure you get the best from any plant or shrub is by cultivating good soil. Prepare your soil and make amendments to it by using organic material and building a proper drainage system. Organic substances like eco-friendly fertilizers provide natural nutrients. To grow your drought tolerant plant, you would need the use of mulch to keep the soil warm and protected from weeds and diseases in the ground. To help you in your selection for building a low water use garden, consider the list of drought-tolerant plants below: 

Aloe

The plant 'aloe' can grow in various climate (like the coastal region, grasslands, remote locations) including the hot and dry environment. In the warm season, you only need to water your aloe plant once a week while during winter – the cold weather and the rainfall is sufficient to keep them less water thirsty. They are succulent plants that grow in a cluster and take root anywhere planted – which makes planting easy. 

Lavender

Lavender is a native flower of the Mediterranean that grows in mass planting; producing stunning purple spikes that bloom all through the year. Lavender flower is at its peak season during spring and known for its fragrance, which helps in sleeping. Lavender needs little water to grow after the first year of constant watering. You can cut down on watering after it has established itself – as the plant cannot tolerate excess water. 

Sweet Potato Vine

The heart shaped plant comes in two popular varieties (lime and dark purple), which makes it a beauty to behold. After establishing itself, it requires little water to keep growing and loves exposure to sunlight. 

Wild Lilac

Wild Lilac is a drought-tolerant shrub with fragrance and colorful green leaves. Once it establishes itself after the first year of watering, wild lilac would grow on little water for about ten to twenty years. They come in stunning colors of white, deep violet and different shades of blue. 

Greening your garden with drought-tolerant plants saves you the constant need to water your yard while still maintaining a beautiful landscape. You can also ask a landscape professional or gardener to suggest the best plants for your garden.