How to Start a Drought Tolerant Garden

What better way to add charm and beauty to a yard than to start a garden? And what better way to start a garden in the desert than by planting all drought-tolerant plants. Different climates require different foliage. For every type of plant that thrives on water, you'll find an equally attractive plant that needs very little water to survive. If you live in a warm, dry area and you're ready to start a flower garden, read through the following suggestions to find out exactly what types of plants are favorable in your location.

Things You'll Need

• Redwood
• Hammer
• Nails
• Compost or manure
• Drought-tolerant plants
• Drip tubing
• Redwood mulch

Instructions

1. Draw up a plan so you know exactly how large your garden space will be and what size you'll build your flower boxes. If your yard is 40 feet by 50 feet, a good sized flower box would be 9 feet by 15 feet, 10 inches tall.

2. List the drought-tolerant plants you'll include in your garden. A list of desired plants will speed up the process when it's time to plant. A few good choices are Japanese honeysuckle, rockrose, salvia and blood-red trumpet vine.

3. Secure the perimeters of your starter garden by building a redwood planter box. Follow the original layout and construct the walls according to the plans. As long as the walls have at least three sides and connect at the ends, any design will do.

4. Built the planter box on top of the soil area where you will plant. Only construct sidewalls. Leave the bottom open. Nail the ends together.

5. Amend the soil with an organic material, such as compost or manure, and prepare to plant in spring. Drought-tolerant flowers will bloom from early summer until Halloween.

6. Begin planting your chosen flowers, designating the proper amount of room needed per plant. Some plants have a broader root system than others, so take this into account.

7. Plant drought-tolerant plants in your starter garden. These can include gloriosa daisies, blue mealy-cup sage, spider flower, morning glory, marigolds, Mexican sunflower, Madagascar periwinkle and creeping zinnia.

8. Install drip tubing for automatic plant watering. Use redwood mulch for weed prevention.

Tips & Warnings

• When amending your soil, thoroughly blend the material into the soil. Simply burying it or spreading it over the surface will not yield proper results.

• Drought-tolerant plants come in many varieties, so check with a nursery for a complete list.

• Plant only drought-tolerant plants in your drought-tolerant garden. If you plant a non-drought-resistant plant in a dry and hot climate, the flowers will not bloom.