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Art For Sale - Saint Michael Miniature Pen and Ink Drawings
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Our Lady of Guadalupe, stippled ink on genuine sheep skin, a (finished) Work In Progress |
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Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, Inc.
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Drought and your Garden
Herbs in my garden - all of these plants are fairly drought tolerant and take very little maintenance once established. They include Achillea (Yarrow), Echinacea angustifolia (Purple coneflower), Lavendula angustifolia (Lavender), Salvia officinalis (Common sage), Geranium sanguineum (Hardy geranium), Sempervivum tectorum ( Houseleek), Chamaemelum nobilis (Roman chamomile) and Thymus vulgaris (Common thyme). Sedum v. 'Dragon's Blood' acts as a groundcover and natural mulch in between the larger herb plants.
Click here for
United States Geological Survey Water Watch Map
Click here for
United States Geological Survey Drought Map
Update to this page :) Before you have even read it, I need to add something. When I wrote this page, I naturally tended to gear it toward gardens that are in, or similar to, the Northeast garden, as that is where I live. With "tongue in cheek" I mention below that some of us may not want to give up our annuals, and yet there are people whose houses are threatened due to fire, in some ways the result of droughts. This is now June, 2002 and the drought is so severe in some areas of the country, that there are reports of cacti not surviving in their natural habitat due to the lack of rain. Think about that - plants that have survived the severest of conditions. This is most definitely not a good sign for this year and rainfall amounts.
Please conserve water as much as you are able to, and plan for conservation when designing your garden, even if you are designing next year's garden.
April
This year, 2002, New England and the Northeast are facing drought warnings, as are other parts of the country. There are debates as to the cause of our climatic weather changes and lack of precipitation, and I won't cover that here. What I will do is give some suggestions as to how you can deal with water shortages or bans in growing the plants in your landscape or yard.
There are some basic things to consider before deciding what changes need to be made. What type of plants do you want for effect, color, longevity (annual or perennial), use (medicinal, ornamental, etc.), what is their water use, cultural habits, and what is the overall goal in the planting.
Containers and beds
If you container garden, as I do, it is fairly simple to either change the type of plants you grow or to make a few adjustments to your cultural practices.
These are:
Choosing drought tolerant plants. Other parts of the country are well-used to seeking out and successfully cultivating drought tolerant, or native plants in containers (or beds). There are many beautiful wildflowers that are naturally adapted to withstanding harsh conditions. The best thing to do is to research your own native area plants, and then choose substitutes for what you may have grown in the past. For example, here in the Northeast, petunias and impatiens are great annual plants and widely used in bedding or containers. A substitute plant that is more drought tolerant would be Pulsatilla vulgaris or the European Pasqueflower. They are not identical in appearance to either petunias or impatiens, but they will provide color that is similar. Another bonus is that they will need much less maintenance once established. They are hardy from zones 4 to 8, bloom in the spring, and have reddish-purple 2" flowers. They are an alternative to the water hungry annuals we are all used to growing and could be companion-planted with other plants to extend the color season. They are just one example of an alternative in a drought situation.
What's that? You don't want to give up your petunias and begonias? Okay, well here are some other suggestions. Look for varieties that are bred to be drought tolerant. Many commercial growers and hybridizers are developing drought tolerant plants in order to reach a wider market. If your local nursery doesn't seem to have them, ask them to order some. :) Also see the tips below under Landscapes.
Some plants that are fairly drought tolerant that we are used to buying are:
Geraniums - there are hardy geraniums, scented types, zonal geraniums, all kinds of geraniums and pelargoniums in almost every shade of color.
Herbs - many herbs are actually, yes, native plants :) They are already adapted to harsh conditions. These include Yarrow (all colors) Lavender (lavender colors), Comfrey (large greenery), Calendula (yellows and oranges) Sage (purple to lavender), Mints (lavender to whites), Thymes (white, pinks, lavenders), Santolina (yellow button-shaped flowers), Echinacea (coneflower - lavenders to reds) ... well, you get the idea. In addition, most herbs have dual uses such as culinary, scent, insect repellent, etc. Herbs can easily substitute color and versatility where other annuals were grown before, in containers, yards or landscapes.
Succulents - no, I am not saying you should have prickly pears everywhere (although I do :) - but many gorgeous plants are succulent in nature and their wide array of colors in leaf and bloom are more than worth looking into.
I literally could list hundreds of plants or plant types, but that is part of the fun of doing your own research for your own native plants; choosing what you like, what effect you want, what care you can give, in other words your garden or landscape should reflect you, and at the same time, be low maintenance, water conserving, and pleasing.
If growing exclusively in containers, using a peat-only soil-less potting mix will have your containers dry out more quickly, especially with clay or terra cotta pots or boxes. Depending on the type of plant and its needs, you can adjust the potting mix to include soil or water retaining granules or you can use plastic pots inside the decorative or clay containers if moisture retention is not sufficient.
Landscapes
The above suggestions have approached containers or beds - but what about that beautiful tree that is the showcase of your yard? And the rose bush that has been in the landscape for generations? Here are some tips:
Mulch, mulch, mulch. :) A good mulch of bark, stone, pine needles, etc., preferably a native material, will conserve surface moisture and at the same time, cut down on water-competing weeds.
Moisture granules. These are round little particles that swell when they are wet, and then slowly release water. They can be obtained at most nurseries. They would need to be added to the soil around the roots, preferably at planting time, or by a professional on an established tree or plant.
Water at night. Watering at night in a drought condition allows the plants to use as much moisture as possible before the heat of the sun evaporates it. Without drought conditions, some plants develop fungi and rot if watered at night, so care is needed to assess the water needs of the plant.
Choose native trees or shrubs. Here on Cape Cod, Rhododendrons are perfectly adapted to our sandy conditions and are widely used in landscaping, as are many types of pine, maple, and oak. We have not suffered severe droughts, but if we do, a native plant has a better chance of surviving here than say, a tropical tree that borders on hardiness for this zone (7). In other areas, endangered native trees, such as the Yucca brevifolia can be obtained from seed or a licensed nursery to be a stately addition to a landscape. Do not collect trees from the wild without a permit and a knowledgeable guide. Many of them don't survive the transplant.
Provide Shade. Some plants (container plants or specimen trees or plants that are movable) that normally require or tolerate full sun can be moved to partial or light shade. This will cut down on water consumption and stress. If it affects their growth (such as lankiness or etoliation), perhaps moving them only in the heat of the mid-day will help. This might only be worth the effort for a valuable or favorite plant. An alternative would be to cover the plant loosely with burlap during the hottest sun times.
Here's a suggestion you probably won't like. Remove the lawn. :)
We in America are just about the only country (people) in the world that consider a high maintenance, high water consuming yard of grass an important landscape feature. We borrowed the idea from the aristocrats in Europe a long time ago and then expanded on the concept to the point that we will do just about anything to have our front yards look like the putting green on the 18th hole. Lawns are a beautiful feature, in fact they are the best area for children to play on, but they consume vast quantities of water. If removing the lawn isn't an option, how about reducing the size of your lawn? Instead of the full half acre, put in a quarter acre of wildflowers, and a quarter acre of grass near the doorway or entrance. Another option is a beautiful "lawn" made up of a groundcover such as Hedera helix (ivy) or Vinca minor (periwinkle). Or, maybe lawn-sculpting is right for you. Placement of beautiful mulches such as cocoa shell husk, crushed sea shells, or cedar bark in geometric shapes that lead to a small area of well-maintained lawn by the door. This can have a very neat, attractive, and elegant appearance. Every drop of water we save is important. When choosing a new lawn, again, choose native grasses if possible, drought tolerant varieties, and adjust your mowing height. The shorter you mow, the more grass needs water and nutrients. Go for the slightly long look. :)
Go to the library :) Get books on the southwest and west and the ways these areas have learned to cope with drought. Then, armed with the most important item, knowledge, adapt the methods that have been used in arid areas to your own conditions.
Gardening is a wonderful aspect of life, whether it be for relaxation, food production, beauty, "zen", conservation, or all of the above. As our world changes, we can change with it, with simple adaptations and sharing of knowledge. :)