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Five Great Plants for a Drought Tolerant Garden

15th March 2019

Great Britain has a reputation for being a rainy island, however, in parts it can have surprisingly low rainfall. The east coast gets a lot less rain than the west coast. For example, whereas Plymouth in the west gets 100.74cm of rain per year, and some rain will fall on 142 days of the year, Ipswich in the east gets just 56.05cm of rain, and just 106 days when it will rain. Also some gardens can have dry soils due local factors, for example a border near a conifer hedge, which soaks up all the moisture nearby. Planters also dry up a lot quicker than garden borders, leaving the soil very dry if it is not watered regularly. Here is 5 great plants that are drought tolerant.

Perovskia 'Blue Spire' / Russian Sage

Russian Sage tolerates dry soils excellently. It has attractive silvery foliage and stalks of small purple flowers. The plant grows to about 120 cm, and is ideal for wide borders. It is a plant that is suited to a range of garden styles, from cottage to urban contemporary. Available from Van Meuwen HERE

Senecio 'Angel Wings'

A beautiful silvery foliage plant, with large velvety leaves. Great for modern gardens, roof gardens, courtyards etc.Available from T&M HERE

Santolina chamaecyparisss / Cotton Lavender

Silver fern type evergreen foliage, and loads of vibrant yellow pom pom flowerheads, during the summer. A good plant for cottage garden borders, rockeries etc.Ideal for low maintenance gardens, where watering is not possible. Order from Van Meuwen HERE

Olive Tree Standard

Despite being native to the Mediterranean region, Olive trees can grow fine in British gardens, and tolerate cold nights. However, they also have great drought tolerance. They are a perfect ornamental tree for small gardens, as they are slow growing, and easy to maintain, as well as looking very attractive, with their silvery leaves, white blossom in spring and green fruits in summer. Over many decades they can reach a height of 10 metres, but due to being slow growing they are easy to prune and manage. This standard Olive tree can be grown in a planter on the patio or decking. Order from Van Meuwen HERE

Zinnia 'Zahara' Single-Flowered Mixed (Garden Ready)

Zinnia are native to Mexico, so can easily cope with hot dry weather, and dry soil. This makes them the perfect summer annual for planters, without having to water them much. This variety is a mix of colours, but T&M also sell a lot of different varieties of Zinnia HERE