How to Design a Drought-Resistant Flower Garden

The essentials for designing a thriving desert flower garden are simple and easy. With a few tips and some insider tricks, your desert flower garden with have the neighbors green with envy.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drought-resistant flowers
• Graveled soil
• Deep-root watering system
• Ground cover

1. Choose the right flowers. In the desert, the most important part of designing a flower garden is the flower choice itself. Drought-resistant flowers do not have to be bland and lacking in color. Perfect choices would include zinnias, marigolds, moss rose, cosmos and common geraniums.

2. Give roots anchors to grow. The soil that makes up planting areas in desert flower gardens is not native, nor does it include the debris and rock needed to anchor root growth. Adding gravel to your soil will give the roots of your drought resistant flowers something to hold on to.

3. Water deeply. Deep-root watering is essential when designing a desert flower garden. With high temperatures and direct sunlight, water will evaporate from the soil before reaching the plant roots.

4. Anchor your plants. Using ground covers like mulch, gravel or phlox is important during the beginning phases of designing your desert flower garden. High winds in the desert will blow the flowers out of the soil before the roots have time to grow far enough into the soil. Ground cover will protect the plants from the wind.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose flowers that are both drought resistant and colorful.
• Do not choose colored mulches as ground cover. The sun will fade the mulch in a matter of days.

[fossilflower]

on 11/29/2007 Great article~