Every gardener knows how important regular watering is to maintain the beauty and enjoyment of a garden. But sometimes, we need to recognise that even our very best watering efforts won’t be enough to maintain water-thirsty plants.
Whether it’s your whole garden, a particularly dry spot and sun-exposed bed, or planning ahead for hosepipe bans and drier than usual summer, selecting drought-resilient plants can make a difference, and keep nature on your side in dry conditions.
Why choose drought-tolerant plants for your garden?
Choosing plants than don’t need as much water can be beneficial in several ways.
The first is of course that they are more likely to survive hot, dry summers in the UK, and therefore mean that the hard work and love you put into your garden doesn’t get thwarted by a prolonged dry spell. Whether you are going away, or for some other reason are not able to water as much as is needed, none of us want that experience of returning to a wilted garden that hasn’t coped without our evening and morning watering routine.
There is also a sustainability angle to choosing plants that don’t drink as much water. At times when water becomes a scarcer resource and when hosepipe bans become a necessity, planting in ways that do not demand a lot of water is a more eco-friendly approach.
Finally, a great reason to look at drought-tolerant beauties for your garden is that they often require significantly less maintenance. If you are not able to put in long hours keeping your garden pruned and well-managed, having plant varieties that are less likely to bolt into vigorous growth over the summer months, can equate to a low-maintenance garden for you to enjoy.
Our top plants that require little water
Succulents such as Aloe Vera, Echeveria, Sedems and Jade Plants, provide interesting shapes and textures, and can make beautiful, low-maintenance additions to the dry spots in your garden. Succulents have fleshy stems and leaves, which the plants use to store water to help them thrive. They can be quite delicate and snap easily, but luckily, most varieties are easy to propagate from broken stems or leaves, so with a bit of care, they will thrive.
Hailing from arid climates, Cacti can be wonderful in gardens. Consider varieties like Golden Barrel, Saguro and Prickly Pear, or head to your local garden centre and see which types are most interesting to you. Flowering varieties can also delight with splashes of colour.
We can take inspiration from Mediterranean climes as well, with selections of hardy Mediterranean Herbs including Lavendar, Rosemary and Thyme. These are hardy growers and flower well, so can be wonderful for pollinators. And it goes without saying that they are aromatic and flavoursome too, so there’s no doubt you’ll be nipping out to cut sprigs for your cooking as well. If you happen to be heading on holiday to somewhere with a drier and hotter climate, you can always keep your eye out and take inspiration from the combinations of plants you see on your travels.
Ornamental Grasses are also brilliantly resilient, and, again, can add interest and variety to your garden. Unlike succulents and cacti, which are sometimes lower to the ground and slow growing, grasses will grow fast and give height, movement and visual interest to your garden. Varieties to consider include Blue Fortescue and Fountain Grass. It’s worth making sure that you know how the grasses you plant spread. Some can be quite vociferous, so will be better in pots or containers.
Coneflowers and Blanket Flowers are examples of Desert Perennials. These are ideal for dry and sunny conditions, and add wonderful splashes of colour. Their blooms are also great for attracting wildlife and pollinators.
Care Tips for Drought-Tolerant Plants
Of course, caring for drought-tolerant plants requires a bit of a shift from our usual gardening routines for more traditional UK-climate gardens. But that doesn’t mean that the fundamentals of how to help your garden thrive will change.
Keep an eye on Soil Type as you plant your low maintenance drought-friendly plants. The flip-side of not requiring as much water, is that these varieties really will need well-drained soil. They are likely to be very sensitive to getting water-logged, so ensuring that their roots don’t end up too wet for too long will be a key part of helping them thrive.
Your Watering Techniques will also need to adapt. Most of the types of plant we’ve listed above will benefit from deep, but infrequent, watering. As you decide which drought-tolerant plants to add to your garden, take a moment to research what their ideal watering pattern is, and incorporate that into the schedule on which you water your garden.
Of course, it’s not all about water: many of these plants are incredibly reliant on high levels of sunshine as well. So as you choose where to place them, and, for smaller varieties that won’t flourish in the shade of other plants, what you choose to plant around them, keep in mind that many of these need the sunniest of spots.
Also, if you are planting directly into beds, you may need to take different considerations than if you’re planting in pots or containers. Especially questions of soil type and drainage will make a difference here.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most common mistakes to avoid when planting drought-resistant varieties involve forgetting that they have different needs to native UK varieties.
Overwatering can be as much of a problem for these plants as underwatering is for others. So make sure that you understand the watering requirements for the varieties you choose.
Hand in hand with watering is soil drainage. Many garden centres sell cacti and succulent specific soil mixes, and you can also mix gravel or other larger items into your soil to ensure that it drains well to keep your plants happy.
Forgetting how much sun they need or letting larger plants cast too much shade, can also lead to poor growth.
As you plan for drier conditions we hope these tips help you to plant and enjoy beautiful and low-maintenance drought-resistant gardens!