Although the spring of 2015 has brought significant sums of rainwater to north Texas, planting drought friendly plants around your home is a smart idea that will enable your property to look well-planned even through years where water is quite scarce. You can choose between many different types of plants, from hardy types of grasses to perennials that need only a touch of water. As you add new landscaping options to your yard this year, consider some of these five growables that need only sips of water at a time.
Rosemary
Be kind to your yard while producing a fragrant herb that your favorite recipes will love when you plant drought friendly rosemary in your yard. Unlike other herbs, which often remain as small plants when grown year after year, rosemary can form into a larger shrub that ranges between two and five feet in size. Rosemary plants well in soils that may not be as friendly to more delicate plants and will only need a bit of water during each summer season to remain vibrant.
Honeysuckle
Planting honeysuckle in your yard will bring sweet fragrances into your life while decorating your property with pretty and colorful blooms that offset a deep evergreen base. Honeysuckle grows as a vine and spreads prolifically. This is the perfect addition if you have a decorative trellis in your yard or would like to cover up a bland fence with an attractive plant. Remember to judiciously prune honeysuckle, or any other climbing vine, on a regular basis so that it doesn’t lead to any structural deterioration if it is growing along the exterior walls of your home or on a fence that may be becoming weaker with age.
Lantana
Lantana is a perennial favorite in north Texas, gracing many yards and publicly landscaped places with yellow, pink, or white flowers. This small shrub really thrives on high heat and low water — the perfect mix for balmy Texas summers. A great feature of lantana is that the same shrub may have many different hues of flowers, which can add colorful depth to your landscape design. Pruning lantana before colder temps arrive in the winter can ensure its survival from year to year.
Magnolia
An extremely popular growable in the south, magnolias are a great bet for both the heat and sometimes iffy soils homeowners face in north Texas. This drought friendly plant can complement your property in several different forms. Magnolias that are well-pruned each year can remain smaller but prolific shrubs. When allowed to grow freely, magnolia trees can become quite large, topping 20- to 30-feet in height and depth.
Verbena
Like lantana, verbena plants can add a fabulous pop of color to your garden each year. Available in bright hues that range from purples to pinks, whites, reds, and blues, verbenas have a long blooming cycle and will be colorful throughout most of the year. Needing only occasional watering during the summer, verbena’s spread can range from shrub- to vine-like characteristics.
Most years in north Texas bring parching summers where water is a scare commodity. Take advantage of the wetter 2015 spring conditions in north Texas to replant parts of your yard with drought friendly plants and be ready for dryer years to come.
Image Source: Flickr/Les Haines
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