Practical Ideas for Planting Drought & Native Plants

For your new wildlife retreat or rain garden, you’ll want to seek out drought resistant and native plants. The reason is simple — they’re well adapted to your specific climate, soil type, and pests. Ultimately, these advantages allow such plants to sustain themselves on less water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Without any help from humans, these plants will thrive, giving way to an eco-friendly landscape that still looks fantastic. Luckily, most native plants are also drought resistant and can handle poor soil conditions as well.

But, how do you choose the right plant for the right place? If you have a naturally boggy area on your property, you might automatically assume you shouldn’t plant drought tolerant plants there. However, some areas are dry during the winter, wet during the summer, and vice versa.

Plants that prefer wet feet are best for areas that stay wet all year long. For wet areas that dry out during some seasons, you’ll want plants that can competently handle both conditions. For example, plants like the Red Twig Dogwood — a shrub native to the wetlands — are popular choices. To make sure you choose the right plant for the right place, be familiar with the conditions in your garden and know the plants appropriate for those conditions.

How you water your garden will determine how sustainable it is. The key is to heavily water your plants but less frequently than you might imagine. This method allows water to reach further down into the soil, yielding better results.

For additional information regarding native plants in the New England area, as well as harmful invasive plants you should avoid, visit the Plant Conservation Alliance. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed in particular has a variety of plants introduced from Europe and elsewhere, so it’s important to know which plants are native to the area. We love that many local utilities and governments offer incentives for water conservation efforts.

With a professional architect and designer, you can plan your ideal, eco-friendly landscape that features visually stunning native and drought tolerant plants. Contact TMS Architects today to learn more about our design services.