With the drought we have going on, I am looking into getting more drought-tolerant plants. I have had it with deciding between running my well dry and letting my plants die. I am so mad, depressed and discouraged right now I could scream and cry. I have NEVER felt like this in the few yrs I've been gardening. I told DH if I lose lots of plants by the fall, I will not even bother for next yr. I garden for pleasure, not pain and I am in pain when I see huge trees dying and expensive shrubs wilting over. I am going to lose roses, lots of trees[some several yrs old and huge], shrubs and other plants this yr. I am seriously considering ripping out my azaleas and hydrangeas come Fall- if they last til then, and posting here at DG for y'all to come get 'em. They are such water hogs and even after every night watering, they wilt like wimps. I have dared to water them 2 times a day when DH wasn't looking.
These are the plants that I have that ARE holding up well [PTL!]:
sedums
cactus[opuntia]
daylilies
lilies
tuberose
zinnias
marigolds
4 oclocks
petunias
perilla
scotch broom
forsythia
So what plants do you grow espec perennials, shrubs and trees that don't mind the drought?
Thanks y'all for letting me vent.
This message was edited Jun 16, 2006 12:23 AM
Drought tolerant plants you grow
As I get info on the web I'll post links here for all of us. I know I'm not the ONLY one in Ga who is dry now. Here's a nice list from UGA: http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/horticulture/Drought.html
Another article: http://www.p2pays.org/ref/18/17807.htm
One here at DG: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/449327/
This message was edited Jun 16, 2006 12:45 AM
Berrygirl
I have decided I must be crazy for planting all this stuff. It's taking all morning and all night just to keep it wartered enough to keep it alive. I do so love my plants, but am thinking I might need to thin out a bit so I can properly take care of those things that are *really* precious to me. It's hard work when you have to water 2 and 3 times a day just to keep them living. :-( Maybe I need to post on the plant forum? Even that breaks my heart.
~Elaine~
Yes, it's a sad year. Here are the ones we've got that are doing well: Trees--Magnolia. (Only 3 years old and planted under pines and hardwoods. Bless their hearts, they're holding their own against the big fellas.) Other best tree is a pink flowering cherry that previous owner planted--impervious to drought. Other plants doing okay--Ligustrum, sarcocca, rhodies, gardenia, nandina, juniper, crepe myrtle, mahonia (DH loves the stuff), dwarf hollies, ajuga, marigolds, mondo, liriope, creeping thyme, rosemary, greek oregano that I keep cutting back until it forms a creeping habit for groundcover. Also doing okay are daylillies, which I call "fountaingrass" so that we don't mourn for the deer-eaten blossoms (previous owner planted them). And the master of them all, tough-as-nails Hellebores.
By the way, we have implemented a rotation plan for watering the plants NOT doing so well as the above. DH was trying to water everything on the days we can water. I remembered that deep soaking is recommended rather than a light watering, and we worked out a plan to water only a portion of our water-lovers each time, so that while they only get watered once a week, they get a deep watering--hopefully encouraging them to develop deep root systems. I think that's the idea, at least. Keeping my fingers crossed.
I find that the old azaleas suchj as Formosa, George Tabor, and Pride of Mobile take the drought better than the newer hybrids. They may look a little wilted but they pull through.
It is a shame that most of the garden centers tend to operate like big box stores. Everything is offered in the spring and by now there is no great selection. Fall planting works so much better in the south for root development over the winter, and by fall there is nothing left to plant.
Beth
Beth -- you're so right. Fall planting by far the best. Gee, maybe I cursed us all with this drought? Since we moved into this house, every year, until THIS year, we planted in the fall, and the rains came just fine. This year, planted in the spring--drought. Hmmm. ;-) Sheila
We have been in drought conditions ever since we moved down here in 2000. I am trying not to remember that the 100 year flood (both of them) followed droughts. I am glad not to be a farmer and dependent on either irrigation or rain to support my family. I see them every day ,walking in the fields assessing the water needs , as I drive to the school.
Beth
Ha, and I thought I brought the drought when I moved here in '81! This weather is scaring me!
My best drought survivers are:
Crocosmia
Hellabores
Daylilies (with good mulch)
Iris
Sedum
Butterfly bushes (all)
It does get to you after you spend back breaking hours working in your yard, and everything just falls over. I have astilbe that are nice and crispy, 2 new butterfly bushes that are just as bad. The smaller one lost all it's leaves. A few things that are holding up are daylilies, sedum, lambs ears, coleus, vinca, that's because most of them are in the shade. The black eyed susans and their relatives seem to love the drought.
Family wants us to visit this summer and hubby works long, crazy hours. He told me he'll water everything but how can he when he is always at work??
My little one reminds me every other day that the birdbath is empty, so we have to look out for the birds as well.
I'm going out to do a raindance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Susan
Thanks all for the suggestions!
I believe the 4 gluttonous hydrangeas might going to go to a new home come fall or next Spring.
Yes fall planting is best, gives the roots a good start.
How about black and blue sage. My butterfly palnts are doing fine but their 4 years old.
Any plant with gray foliage will take the sun, in fact loves it!! The best one I've found is Santolina......there is an upright form and a ground cover type.
THANKS to all for the suggestions! Just heard on the weather that we have a 4-8 in rain deficit. I believe it!!
I planted sedum and vinca on the side of the house that gets full afternoon sun, have never watered them after I planted them 3 months ago, and they are doing fabulously. Before it rained this week, everything else was getting watered daily and still drooping by next afternoon, but these soldiers still looked perky, like they could care less about water. Wish I could find a couple more of the sedum, I picked them up at WalMart marked down to $1.93 a pot, but they only had 4. I could have used 2 or 3 more. Anyone know how to propogate sedum? Can I root cuttings do ya think?
Another drought-tolerant plant for me is yarrow. The blooms last a long time and it's a good Butterfly host plant too. Like Bugme said about gray foliage; yarrow leaves are grayish and has stood up to the drought thus far in my little garden.
guardian,
re sedum: Just pinch off some and stick it in soil. Keep it watered [but not too much] and they'll root easy for you. Easiest plant in the world to root. Wish roses rooted this easily- lol!
Sedum and vinca are 2 of my faves also.
THANKS all for the suggestions: keep' em coming!
I have a "mystery succulent" that I bought at Georgia Perimiter College. I have no idea what it is, it was missing the tag. It is very drought tollerant and of course, native somewhere to the US!
This year I planted several different spanish lavender (very dark flowers, whiteish green flowers), a few new very low growing types of oregano, red flowering rosemary, Barbara Tingly oregano...they are new to the garden and have proven very drought tollerant even though when planted their root systems were not all that established. Boltonia is very, VERY drought tollerant as I find purple ruellias (both dwarf and tall), helenium, salvia "mulberry wine", a type of germander that looks like salvia (has diffent common names: turkish germander, "kitten's tails"), mexican saliva of which I now have three kinds: a very dark flowering type, a taller bi-color (common) and a dwarf. Silver Germander, santolinas of all kinds although they might perish if we get a wet winter. I just wish they were easier to find and replace!!
I have many annuals that are doing well in the droughty weather too: strawflowers, california poppies, japanese morning glories (some types), grandpa otts morning glories, yellow african morning glories and an ethiopian type which is orange-y red.
I also have some chives which are very ornamental and drought tollerant. A dwarf curly type, a broadleaf which is spring flowering (not a chinese type), white flowering, pink flowering and regular purple flowering plus the asian types in white, purple and yellow.
GGG
I just found a website that offers a book titled ""Xeriscape: A Guide to Developing a Water Wise Landscape." It's $3.95 and available from the Georgia Water Wise Council. The address to order it is at the bottom of the following web page:
http://www.p2pays.org/ref/18/17807.htm
Berrygirl
i feel for you as i am in the same boat with some you listed.
i told my DH no more hydrangeas as they are so weepy looking every day and we have zero luck with azeleas. i hate it and it is upsetting as i like both of them. my roses are shot. i was so sad last night to see several of them brown and brittle. the only roses that are holding up well for me right now are my knock out roses.
i have lost several bushes that did cost money and a few plants i dearly wanted have bit the dust.
i cant afford to water it all. Dh says we will put in a well but gosh that costs just as much to water.
i hate drought!!!! a sad year indeed
imzadi,
I am so very sorry! I know how you feel. It is so depressing to see our plants die. I see all the hard work, time and money wasted. Not to mention being denied the pleasure of enjoying them. I pray you get rain soon!
THANKS all for the wonderful suggestions.
i want a slow rain. we got a down pour that just run off the property the other day . my mom got a slow rain and shes like 15 minutes away.
I hope you get rain too!!!!!! i was out trying to mulch a stubborn bed today and my pine trees are shedding. my stubborn bed has wild blackberries in it. you would think the drought would deter them. NOT!!! they grow in any weather. i have noticed the kudzu drying out along the roads though. not a good sign. them things are hard to kill.
someone told me today to get water gators for my trees. am fixing to look them up and see what they are about. huggers marie