CHOOSING DRY-TOLERANT PLANTS
When planning a dry-tolerant garden, the first thing you should do is put on your walking shoes and stroll around your local area, noting which plants seem to be flourishing regardless of dry spells or water restrictions. This will give you a good idea of which trees, shrubs, ground covers and flowering plants will keep on keeping on, even when water’s in short or sporadic supply.
Next, drop in to your local nursery or garden centre. Ask to speak to their on-staff horticulturist who can give you advice on drought-tolerant or low-water-use plants already adapted to the local climate and growing conditions. And, of course, there’s no shortage of books on dry-tolerant gardening, which include handy plant guides, nor any shortage of online resources you can draw on.
IDENTIFY DRY-TOLERANCE
The easiest way to identify any plant is to read the label or ask a horticulturist (if you’re in a garden centre), or to use a good plant book. When you
