This weekend I finally got started on my Drought Resistant Plantings. I had an area in my front garden bed which didn’t fit in with the rest of the plants.
In fact, by the end of summer, it always looked a bit overgrown with torch lilies. This area also took lots of time in the fall to cut back into nice mounds.
My plan is to try some new things and give this garden nook area a different look. Plus, I also purchased new plants able to tolerate drought.
Initially, I thinned out the torch lilies, but I’m now thinking I’ll probably totally remove them or plant a few somewhere else in the yard.
Drought Resistant New Plantings
Because his area is in full baking summer sun, I decided to go with drought resistant perennial plantings. If you recall from my earlier blog, I attended a recent seminar on drought resistant plants for my growing region no. 7.
OK, the first thing I put in is not really a new planting. When I moved my upright sedum plants to the front garden bed, I noted that I missed a few small plants. Never one to toss out good plants, I moved the few sedum seedlings over to the front of the house.
They are the same type as the upright sedum behind it. I’m thinking three large sedums will look great in this area. Sorry, I’m not totally sure what type of sedum this is, as they came with the house.
The newly planted sedums look a little small right now. However, with lots of sun and a little water, they will quickly grow. They are also a very hardy plant.
This area also had a lot of weeds in it. So, initially, I removed the weeds prior to planting new plants.
Planting the Armeria (Thrift) and Sedum
I purchased three Armeria (Thrift) plants named Dreamweaver. I like this plant because it has long blooming periods with deep rose pink flowers on slender stalks. The plants likes full sun and are drought resistant. Instructions suggest planting Armeria plants 12-inches apart. So, I used my yardstick to to correctly measure the distance.
When I had the plants in the location I wanted, I filled in the dirt and added mulch. The Armeria plants have long roots and were a little difficult to get out of the plastic pots. I ended up cutting the crock off the plant. I slightly broke the roots apart to give them room to grow. Lastly, I gave the plants a good watering but will keep a close watch on them until they look settled. I’ll continue to water them daily throughout the hot sunny days for about a week.
Ending Notes on Drought Resistant Plantings
It was a bit of tiring working in the garden and planting these new drought tolerant plants, but I’m glad I did. The real rewards will come next year when things are in bloom again.
I still have one Dazzleberry sedum to plant. I’ll keep my Farmhouse Magic Blog Readers posted on where I plant that beauty. More in an upcoming blog.
Happy Summer Planting!
Resource Sites: Drought Resistant Plantings seminar by Louis, Merrifield Garden Center