There was little snow this past winter and so far not much rain has fallen this spring, so the rain barrels are already empty and the soil is dry. Without consulting a farmers' almanac, this may be the spring when gardeners change plans and plant things that thrive in drought conditions.
Being water conscious in the home garden is not as simple as saving rainwater or alternating watering days. Home gardeners need to be aware of the different ecosystems in their own backyards and they will have more success if they try to think what would grow there, even if the summer is hot and dry.
Looking at the plants themselves should give you a hint.
Plants with silver-coloured leaves, such as artemesia, black-eyed Susan, snow-in-summer, salvia, sages and mullein thrive in dry spaces.
"The silvery grey leaves protects the cells and shade them," explained Tam Andersen, owner of Prairie Gardens & Greenhouses.
Plants with thick leaves are also drought tolerant.
Succulents such as sedums fall into this category and these plants, which tend to have big, broccoli-like clumps of flowers, spread and act as a ground cover.
"Silver Brocade is one sedum that is drought tolerant and will spread three or four feet," said Andersen, adding that it should be planted in an area where it can be allowed to take over because not many other plants will survive alongside it.
Other succulent-style plants include vibrantly coloured livingstone daisies, bitter root and portulaca.
Scarlet red salvia plants are an old traditional species that is often paired with artemesia and then planted beside the sidewalk, where it may be hot and dry.
"In recent years they've come out with some blue salvia that are still drought tolerant. One is Salvia Patens Ocean Blue, which grows about 30 inches tall and another is Sally Fun which has long, showy spikes that are indigo blue," Andersen said.
Native species
Plants that are native to Alberta's grasslands do well in residential gardens.
"Look for plants with a hair-root system such as blanket flower (gallardia aristala) or wild-blue flax. The hair-root system may go down five or six feet in the soil and therefore they are very drought tolerant," said Bruce Bashforth of Bedrock Environmental Services, who has a garden west of Morinville and sells native species to professional landscapers.
Asiatic lilies are another good choice for dry areas of the yard, but not native tiger lilies, Bashforth warned.
"Tiger lilies take so long to grow from seed. The bulbs do store water but true tiger lilies are not readily available and the wild ones are difficult to grow. Asiatic lilies are a better choice," he said.
Bashforth also recommended growing the local sunflower, properly called the common tall sunflower, which is native to the Edmonton area. Its seeds attract goldfinches.
Big beauties
Consider using drought-resistant trees and shrubs in your landscape.
"Pine trees, saskatoons, juniper, Russian olive and sea buckthorn all do well in dry areas. On the other hand, cranberries, cedars, willows and birch trees grow on riverbanks. They need a lot of water," Andersen pointed out.
One shrub that does well in dry conditions is yucca, which is spectacular and unusual to look at in a garden, yet requires little or no care.
"I've had a yucca in front of my house for about four years and it's three feet tall and I never water it. It's almost bullet-proof," said Jim Hole of Hole's Greenhouses and Gardens.
Hole also recommended planting hardy barberry bushes. The shrubs have unusual reddish- coloured leaves and thorns and they are a standout addition to the garden.
"I like ornamental grasses. Grasses also do well in containers and there is a new variety, called Fireworks that looks just like it sounds," Hole said.
Gardening with an eye towards nature doesn't mean abandoning spaces. Instead, being water conscious may require even greater stewardship of the land.
If you want plants that need and require more water, protect and shade their shallow-growing roots with a thick mulch of compost, grass clippings, shavings or bark. If you have containers filled with flowers, but you are going away for the weekend, add a simple, but efficient temporary watering system.
"One trick is to freeze a two-litre pop bottle full of water. Then suspend it over your container and poke a pinprick hole in the cap. Over the weekend, it will drip out and provide water for your pot. Also, if you can, put the container in the shade if you're going away," suggested Andersen.
The advantage to having drought-tolerant plants is that once established, they provide more freedom for the gardener.
"If you'd rather go away to the lake for the weekend or go golfing, then plant things that can take care of themselves. Sedums, grasses and many rock-garden plants all fit into that category," said Hole.
