|
Yes,
welcome to the clever world of xeriscaping, a method of gardening
that reduces the need for watering and maintenance. Commonly called
drought-resistant planting, nature has long been xeriscaping in the
drier regions of the worlds for millions of years.
So
what are the key things to remember?
Let’s start with the basics.
Less leaf area means less water lost during the heat of the day.
Plants with tough or small leaves like Festuca, Sedum and Pine all have
good drought tolerance.
Survival
technique number two is grey foliage. Light is more easily reflected from light foliage so
Lavender, Senecio and Eryngium all have the winning advantage. Next, the
deeper the roots go, the more able a plant is to search out water below
ground. Yuccas, with their
tough evergreen leaves are well suited to plunging roots deep into the
soil.
Another
tip to remember is that plants in desert conditions often partly shade
themselves under rocks where scarce rain is more easily collected.
Our equivalent is to use shingle or a mulch beneath plants which
reduces the amount of water lost through evaporation.
Likewise,
water in the evening after the sun goes down.
For small gardens, use glazed pots as terracotta dries out
quicker due to its porosity. Grouped pots protect each other from the
effects of drying winds and heat.
Copy
nature to survive the heat of summer and your plants will soon show
their appreciation by growing better.
 BACK
to the advice point, please |
