Happy Monday! For us Californians, the past week of rain has been wonderful and very much needed. But as lovely as it's been, we're still far below our normal rainfall, which doesn't bode well for the hot summer months. As a result, many of us are making a conscious effort to reduce water consumption, and in addition to changing behaviors like shorter showers (working on that one!), less laundry/dishwashing water waste, etc., another great way to use less is by replacing water-hungry lawns with drought tolerant gardens.
I've recently come across some really beautiful examples that I thought I'd share, in case you're in this boat, or have thought about implementing this type of garden before:
Love this terraced garden with succulents and grasses. The variety of colors and textures looks cohesive but interesting.
How inviting does this outdoor seating look? Love the modern fire pit and seating surrounded by lush green. The gravel hardscape not only provides a no-water area, but also allows rain water to permeate into the ground.
Again, a mix of succulents (above), and grasses (below) are good options for low-water plants.
And, while I love the various textures and shades of green provided by these plants, there are also some great flowering options that provide more color:
This drought tolerant garden in Australia (Lambley Nursery) only needs to be well-watered 4 times a year, and has a variety of gorgeous flowering plants. The pretty magenta flowering plant in the foreground is Sedum spectabile 'Meteor', and for US gardeners, there is a similar Sedum spectabile 'Brilliant' available. *Via Gardenista
Purple-flowered Salvia is another great low-water option, and this succulent (Cotyledon orbiculata) is similarly hearty.
One last photo from the Lambley Nursery shows a variety of flowering plants and grasses, as well as large shade trees that help block some of the harsh sun. *Via Gardenista
This is another gorgeous example of some great flowering drought tolerant plants. Also, notice the pavestones are surrounded by gravel, not cement, which again, allows rainwater to soak into the ground, providing moisture for the surrounding plants. *Via BHG
The rest of these photos are from the portfolio of LA-based landscape achitect Rob Steiner. I came across one of his gardens on pinterest, and absolutely love his work:
Love the modern raised wood walkway that's surrounded by grasses.
The variety of grasses all have different colors and textures, and I love the contrast of the flowy grasses with the more solid, dark green evergreens.
And below is a colorful succulent planting he did, with aloe, iceplants, sedum brevifolium, and echeverria:
Gorgeous, right? You can check out the rest of Rob Steiner's portfolio here.
Anyway, while I'm not even close to being any sort of expert on this, I've picked up a few basic tips regarding drought tolerant gardens (as obvious as they may seem!):
1) Hardscaping provides areas that don't require any water at all! And, if doing a hardscape, it's better to do so with a permeable material (i.e. gravel, pebbles, etc.), or surround your non-permeable surfaces (like slate, stone walkways, etc.) with gravel or mulch so that some water can still soak into the surrounding soil. Speaking of hardscape, I saw this backyard with a bocce court, and thought it was such a fun idea! It's a hardscape, so doesn't require water, it looks nice, and it provides entertainment :)
2) Succulents and grasses are good low-water plants, but there are lots of flowering options, too. I found these lists from Sunset magazine helpful: 20 Best Perennial Flowers and 12 Great Drought Tolerant Plants. In general, though, it's probably best to find out what grows well in your area from your local nursery.
3) Shade trees are definitely good for blocking out some of the harshest sun, and can save water by preventing excessive evaporation. Again, seems obvious, but less evaporation means less watering is needed.
And finally, here are some links and resources that I found helpful and hope you do to!:
- 21 Inspiring Lawn-Free Yards, via Sunset
- Comprehensive lists of drought resistant plants native to CA, via Pilitas Nursery
- 11 Tips for Designing a Water-Conscious Garden, by Erin Boyle, via Gardenista
- Drought Tolerant Landscaping Ideas, via BHG
