garden notes: drought Fighters

Drought Fighters

Top ten plants for water-wise gardens

by lIsa Cullen

With the majority of State of California experiencing severe drought conditions, the County of Santa Barbara has issued a drought emergency . All residents are being asked to reduce water use by 15 percent . The easiest way to accomplish this is to reduce water use in your garden .

However, no matter the demands to reduce water, a garden is meant to bring joy . And, since everyone has different points of view on beauty, don’t select plants only because they are low water, select them because they bring you joy! This list of plants is not meant to be the definitive list; it’s a list of plants I think can be easily combined into a beautiful garden .

Here are my top 10 plants for a beautiful, drought tolerant garden . 1. Olive trees: There are many varieties of olives and they come in many shapes and sizes . Olives are extremely drought-tolerant; in fact they are nearly impossible to kill . There’s only one truly fruitless olive, Swan Hill, but there are several low-fruiting varieties: Majestic Beauty and Wilsonii . One of my favorite olives is a dwarf appropriately named Little Ollie . Little Ollie is truly

Left: Agave attenuata with Santa Barbara Daisy, Calendrinia, Senicio and Salvia for the ultimate in drought tolerant beauty.

fruitless and stays very small and in a rounded shape, making it the perfect choice for topiary gardens and low hedges .

2. Bougainvillea: Bougainvillea is an amazing survivor of drought and is a Santa Barbara staple . Take a walk downtown and there will be bougainvillea in every view . The colors range from pastel to vibrant and suit just about anyone’s taste . The only mistake one can make is to let it grow out of control . Cut it frequently for the most color .

3. Lavender is the quintessential Mediterranean garden plant . It demands very little water and in fact they most easily die from over-watering! There are many varieties of lavender including culinary and fragrant types . The only thing you need to remember to maintain lavender properly is to cut it back hard once a year . If you do that, it will survive many, many seasons .

4. Rosemary is a great choice for a low-water garden, they can be trimmed into topiary, made into hedges (as a boxwood replacement) and there’s a low-growing variety that’s perfect for tumbling over rock walls .

5. Salvia (sage) opens the door to a near infinite of beautiful opportunities and there is a myriad of them to choose from the ever-present Mexican sage to California natives like white sage and Cleveland sage . Sages are an important addition to any hummingbird or pollinator garden and are magnificently drought tolerant .

6. Low-growing border plants: This is a category rather than a single plant . These plants are wellsuited to bordering garden paths and patios; Santa Barbara daisy, Nepeta (catmint), Teucrium, thyme, and culinary sage all stay quite low and can be used in various combinations to create fabulous and colorful garden borders .

7. California native plants: These are well-suited to drought for obvious reasons . They are dormant in the summer when typically, there is no rain and their peak growing season in winter and spring . There are so many to choose from, I’d suggest doing your own research . Be aware that California natives can be touchy . They need good drainage and will perish with over-watering . Manzanita, oak, coffee berry, arbutus, ceanothus, toyon are just a few of the options . California natives come in many sizes and shapes, from upright to ground cover . California natives should be planted in the fall .

8. Groundcovers and lawn replacements: There are a few drought-tolerant groundcovers that will suit when you are looking for an expanse of green . Falkia repens is a spreading dense green groundcover with bright white flowers in the spring . It should be mowed periodically to keep it low and compact . Creeping myoporum is a spreading ground cover Open to the Public Tuesday-Sunday 9am-4pm/Closed Mondays Open to the Public Everyday 9am-4pm 5320 Overpass Road, Santa Barbara CA 93111 5320 Overpass Road, Santa Barbara CA 93111 (805) 964-7811 (805) 964-7811

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that forms a dense mat of foliage, making it a good choice for use in larger areas where you want green coverage, however it will not withstand foot traffic . Dymondia, with its grey-green leaves and yellow flowers stays low and is best suited for small areas as it is susceptible to gopher intrusion .

9. Ivy geranium: This traditional Mediterranean plant is a sure thing for year-round color, planted in containers or as ground cover, they come in many different hues from different pinks, red and white . Ivy geraniums are surprisingly drought tolerant and give more joy than they require in terms of maintenance just a bit of dead heading to keep them blooming .

10. Succulents: Finally, succulents are the obvious choice for low-water gardens . There are thousands of varieties to choose from, a few of my favorites are Calandrinia, Agave attenuata, Senicio, sedums, and aeoniums . They work well when planted amongst boulders and need good drainage .

With this pallet of plants, you can create endless combinations of color, textures, and fragrance for a truly drought tolerant garden . You won’t ever miss your lawn and other water-thirsty plants .

Dramatic landscaping can be achieved by replacing the lawn with California native plants, hardscapes, succulents, and lighting.

Lisa Cullen, landscape designer and organic gardener, owns Montecito Landscape with her husband, Chris. She can be reached at 805.969.3984 or www.montecitolandscape. com