Just because you may live in a dry or desert type environment doesn’t mean you have to deal with a lifeless garden. There are many beautiful and vivid flowers and drought tolerant plants to choose from that actually thrive during periods without water.
If you are looking to add life and color to your home, consider some of these amazing plants. You won’t regret it!
Sage
Sage is an excellent choice if you are looking to cut through the vivid colors going on in the rest of your garden. It adds a bit of buffer but keeps things visually interesting due to its unique texture.
Wallflower
These brightly colored flowers will give your backyard a spicy vanilla aroma that you’ll absolutely love. Wallflowers are old fashioned bedding plants and prefer to have well drained soil. In return, they’ll give you months of blooms.
Portulaca
These low ground flowers are perfect if you like having butterflies in your yard.
Succulents
Succulents are definitely pretty versatile in where you can keep them. If you want something you can bring inside your home, definitely consider these adorable little plants.
Russian Sage
Have pests around? No problem. The Russian Sage is very resistant to the elements from pests to sun and low water environments.
Verbena
If you live in an area with persistent summer heat, the verbena will pull through for you every single year.
Blanket Flower “Gaillardia”
Orange, purple, red, white or yellow – you’ve got all the choices in the world for this plant. If you wanted to keep the variations of plants to a minimum, you’ll have an easy time caring for your garden with this plant.
Oleander
If you are looking for a shrub type plants, consider this, but ONLY if you don’t have pets or children! Every part of this plant is TOXIC.
Agave
You can expect adorable blooms from your agave plant in the fall and summer.
Lavender
If you’re just as obsessed with the aroma of lavender as I am, you’re going to jump for joy to learn they survive without a lot of water!
Cacti
I’m sure you saw this one coming, but there are plenty of gorgeous cacti to choose from, assuming you don’t have pets or children.
Rose Campion
These unique flowers have the potential to add a very classy and vibrant vibe to your garden.
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Please let me know where seeds, or plants can be bought. I especially want the wallflower, portulace, russian sage, verbenia, gaillardia, rose champion and lavender seeds.
Hi Linda!
You can find the Portulaca, Russian Sage, Verbena, Gaillardia, and lavender here: http://glacialridgegrowers.com/
Wallflower Seeds: https://www.americanmeadows.com/wildflower-seeds/wildflower-species/siberian-wallflower-seeds
Rose Campion Seeds: https://www.selectseeds.com/Products/rose_campion_seeds.aspx
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions as I’m happy to help! : )
Just want to warn you about the russian sage. I find it invasive. It sends out runners even under landscape fabric and pops out at any opportunity especially the edges. I would only put this somewhere you dont care how much it takes off. Maybe soneone has a containment idea but I fight it every Summer where it has been planted at our church. I think lavendar would give the same purple effect without taking over
Hi Linda, you can’t go wrong with Rose Campion. This flower was always in my mothers garden. I have multiple plants in my garden due to seeds at end of summer. Your first plant maybe skinny but will fmgrow fuller. Each plant will die down but will return even better. My mother plant looks exactly like the one in the photo. Would love to give you one of mine or even the seeds. Plant now for next year.
Is the oleander suitable for growing in the UK…?
Are any of these “deer resistant” plants?
I am looking for something that is drought resistent that can survive the Michiagan winters 3 miles from the lake in sandy soil Thanks
The Portulaca is also known as Rose Moss or Moss Rose. Momma always called it Rose Moss and had it growing everywhere. I collected some of her seeds one year and planted them the next spring, I had tons of it. I don’t know what happened to it over the years, but I have’r had any and I love them. They were hardy growers here in Southwest Indiana. If you pinch the dead ones off, many more will come on, I always dead headed mine.
I love moss roses! It’s about the only thing I have that thrives. I live in a dry hot climate. I water them, but they are okay if I forget to once in awhile. The nice thing about them is they bloom constantly all summer in a rainbow of colors!
Yes it was Linda! I grew up in Southern Indiana too! Miss it as I’m in So Cal now. We had scads and scads of Rose Moss aaall over the farm too. Couldn’t seem to get rid of it. Now, Id LOVE to have that hardy color out here in my sparse and tiny patio garden. ? Where do you guys hail from? We grew up in the Northern tip of Warrick County. God Bless!
Thks for you information
I’m not good at growing seeds. I need plants in bloom. I live in tonawanda ny, do they sell them around here. I know it is kind of late in the season. Do they have to be planted every year.
What are the zones for these plants and are they perennial or annual
While I love agaves in their myriad of forms and colors, they should be recommended only with caution just as several of the other plants here have been. Most have VICIOUS, needle like spines on the tips of each leaf, along with additional barbs along the leaf edges. These plants are definitely NOT suitable for use around children or pets. A somewhat safer alternative might be certain species of aloe, whose spines are not nearly as vicious, although they do still warrant caution.
Such great information, Robert! Thanks for reaching out. We all appreciate you. : )
I wish I had this years ago when I lived in Tucson, Arizona! I did have Portulaca there that did very well. I do have very pretty Portulaca here in North Carolina. By the way the plural of cactus is cacti.
I live in Tucson too. I’m glad you advised her on the correct plural form of cactus, which is cacti.
Portaluca also called Ice Plant here. Never had much luck with that or Verbena. Had a gorgeous French Lavender once. Grew very well, til hubby sprayed weed killer on it! I had been there for years! What was he thinking? I was so mad!
Wonderful site to visit. And you get the answers you been looking for. Thanks
The Portaluca is also called Jump Up and Kiss Me in Trinidad. It can also be grown from cuttings.
The Portulaca is also called Jump Up and Kiss Me in Trinidad. It can also be grown from cuttings.
The Gaillarda also comes in just red. Which i love better than the one with the yellow border. When you take the heads that are past flowering off it will keep giving. Such a grateful plant. Love it. And indeed droughtresistant.
What do you recommend for South Florida weather ?
Portaluca gets scraggedly and yellowish leaves in the hot summers of New Mexico.
Are any of these perennials?
I noticed that most of the flowers were in the ground, have you any suggestions for flowering pot plants? Thank you
I noticed that most of the flowers were in the ground, have you any suggestions for flowering pot plants? Thank you
Hi Linda, you can’t go wrong with Rose Campion. This flower was always in my mothers garden. I have multiple plants in my garden due to seeds at end of summer. Your first plant may be skinny but will grow fuller. Each plant will die down but will return even better. My mother plant looks exactly like the one in the photo. Would love to give you one of mine or even the seeds. Plant now for next year.
I grow gaillardia , they are still blooming in Oct and Nov! The Orange, red and yellow colors are a beautiful addition to the fall colors of northern Ohio
I don’t think this is a duplicate post. My husband tried growing pansies from seeds. Planted 100 several germinated and all of them died. We ended up buying plants and they are gorgeous!
Any suggestions for successfully growing plants from seeds.