Creating A Drought Resistant Garden - New Zealand

Creating a Drought Resistant Garden

Drought conditions are a fact of life in our changing climate. Though most of us rely on tankwater, by following some drought-wise garden water tips there are many ways you can controlwater use and not have to give up gardening!

When planning and planting your garden, plan for drier periods, and reduce or eliminatewatering requirements by using more drought tolerant plants and better gardening techniques

Practical hints to help your garden survive dry or drought conditions:

- Use compost to condition your soil – this will improve the level of nutrients and structure inthe soil and therefore moisture retention and general health of plants to enable them to betterwithstand heat and drought stress. - Fertilise in early spring and avoid fertilizers that will promote rank leafy growth- any softgrowth will not survive the first dry spell and plants will struggle. If your soil is heavy clay thencultivate it deeply and add gypsum to the soil to help prevent it baking hard when dry. - Add Saturaid to improve water retention by 50%! Completely natural and organic – thisstuff is amazing! Renew it in late spring each year - Crystal Rain is a wetting agent that should always be added at planting time for plants thatmay be stressed by dry conditions - Mulch, mulch. mulch! Use mulches that will improve water retention like compost, bark,pea-straw and gravel. Apply mulch before the summer heat dries out the soil and you will find italways stays moist beneath the mulch blanket. Layers of wet newspaper or old woollen carpet,laid beneath your mulch will further increase moisture retention and extend the life of the mulch. - Lawns consume more water than most gardens so limit your lawn area, mow less oftenwhen it’s dry and set the blades on your mower higher to help prevent scorching and browningoff in your lawn. Saturaid can also be used on lawns - And remember – your garden is an investment so buying water to protect that investmentmay well save you money!

Watering

So how can you save or recycle water, or use less?

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- Water in the early morning, when there is less heat and wind, so less water is lost toevaporation. Timers on automatic watering systems make watering very early much easier. - Don't use overhead sprinklers, which may lose over half the water to evaporation, Manualwatering, soaker hoses, or drip systems are much more effective. Soaker hoses or dripsystems placed near plants provide a slow trickle of water to the root zone. Cover these hoseswith mulch and lose even less water to the air, - Water deeply and less often rather than for shorter periods more often. This allows waterto penetrate deeper encouraging deeper roots that are more resistant to drought. Lawns andbedding plants should be watered to at least six inches deep. Perennials, shrubs and treesshould be watered to at least 300mm deep. Use a rain gauge to check - 25ml will wet a sandysoil to a depth of about 300mm. - Water established plants only if really needed and once they begin to wilt. Manyperennials and woody plants may wilt, and not perform best if dry, but will survive. This isespecially true if they were healthy and well watered prior to drought conditions.

Collecting, Saving Water

- Repair leaks in hoses and fittings. This may be as simple as replacing the washers inhose fittings. - Collect wasted and "gray" water from your household. The latter is rinse water fromdishwashers and washing machines. When adjusting the hot and cold in baths and showers,use a bucket to collect the water that would normally go down the drain before the temperatureis adjusted. You also can collect and reuse water from dehumidifiers or window airconditioners. - Collect water from downspouts of gutters, or divert these directly into flowerbeds

Plant Selection

When planning your garden try to use plants that are more drought resistant. There is awonderful selection of beautiful foliage and flowering plants that go into survival mode whenplaced in a hot and dry position.

Seemingly contradictory in terms, all these plants will need a little water initially to establish theirroot systems in the soil. But once established they become the camels of the plant kingdom.

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The term "xeriscaping" refers to dry climate gardening. Many people associate this term withdeserts, cacti, and succulent plants but it definitely does not mean "zero-landscaping."

Plants for dry conditions

A plant's foliage is one key as to where the plant will thrive in nature.

- Plants with grey or silvery foliage tend to be very adaptable to the dry conditions ofsummer including Cistus (rock rose), Convolvulus, aromatic Lavenders and Rosemary; Arctotis,the beautiful native daisy bushes - Olearia, Pachystegia and Brachyglottis and for brilliant, boldeffects, Phlomis. Pachystegia's are also adapted to dry, sunny areas because the hairs reflectlight and act like insulation, keeping the plant from overheating - Plants that have small leaves are very efficient at producing food and lose relatively littlemoisture such as Corokia, Pittosporums, Californian Ceanothus and Sophora microphyllia(Kowhai) - Waxy or fleshy leaves, such as those of succulents and cacti are designed to hold water;echeverias, sedums, aloe and dracaenas - For that tropical look go no further than the New Zealand icon, the cabbage tree (Cordyline australis) or look at palms and yucca. - The abundant selection of Flaxes, Astelia's, Coprosma, Libertias, Phormiums and Carexprovide that native flamboyant foliage and effect - Australian banksias and grevilleas; South African proteas, leucospermums andleucodendrons are wonderfully drought-resistant. Many of these are frost tender and perfect forthe milder dry climate of the North. - Wonderful perennials that thrive in drier conditions are structural and spiky Echiumfatuosum, bold and brilliant Arctotis and Hemerocallis - Some shade trees will grow happily once established without needing extra water – andwill conserve water for other plants. Silk trees (Albizzia julbrissin), Lagerstroemia and of courseour own Pohutukawa are good examples that thrive in the northern climate

Drought Hardy Plants

The following plants are commonly known to be drought hardy once established and arereasonably readily available. This list is by no means exclusive

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Acacia (Wattle)

A genus of shrubs and trees that tend to be thorny and pod-bearing with distinctive flattened leaves and small yellow flowers

Anigozanthus (Kangaroos paws)

Summer flowering with varied colours from a dull yellow to combinations of green and red or orange. The leaves of some species are hairy

Arctotis

Exceptionally long flowering season from spring right through autumn. Adaptable, will grow in very poor soils and is extremely drought and wind resistant.

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Arthropodium (Rengarenga lily)Happy in dry, poor soils, grows in sun or shade, foliage looks good year round with masses of long stemmed, star-shaped, cream flowers in mid summer.

Bangalow palmSmall root ball makes it suitable for planting near buildings, paths and in pots.

Brachyglottis greyiiAbundance of bright yellow daisy like flowers during summer on a backdrop of grey-green felted foliage

CactusUnusual and distinctive plants adapted to arid environments ranging from small and globular to tall and columnar with large flowers that are often night blooming

Callistemons (Bottlebrush)Bottlebrushes are woody shrubs from 0.5 m to 4 m tall with spectacular flowers that are irresistible to nectar-feeding birds and insects.

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CarexA hardy easy care native New Zealand sedge

Ceanothus (Californian Lilac)Fragrant colourful evergreen shrubs with pretty violet-blue flowers

Chinochloa flavicans (mini Toetoe)Hardy evergreen native grass with deep green, weeping foliage and tall spikes of fluffy white flowers throughout summer

Cistus (Rock rose)Compact rounded shrub with grey-green leaves and clusters of varied coloured flowers from spring through to autumn

Convolvulus mauritanicusA vigorous evergreen perennial with lavender blue flowers from spring to autumn and soft, gray-green leaves

CoprosmaA large number of species of small leaved or divaricating shrubs in a variety of coloured foliage with small flowers in spring followed by bird attracting berries

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Cordyline australis(Cabbage tree)Iconic native plant with tall slender trunk and crowns of strap like leaves and ability to withstand a wide variety of growing conditions

CorokiaNative evergreens with varied coloured foliage from silver, grey-green through to chocolate, useful for hedging

Cotoneaster dammeriClimbing evergreen shrub with white flowers and red berries, often used as ground cover

Dracaenas (Dragon Trees)Group of tree-size species with stout trunks and stiff, broad-based leaves, growing in arid semi-desert areas

Echium fatuosumExcellent foliage plant with gorgeous big purple-blue flower heads in spring.

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EucalyptusRapid growing flowering gum trees that establish in poor soils and arid climates

Euphorbia glauco (Sea spurge)Coastal plant of ecological importance with a wide creeping habit, foliage varies from pastel green to vivid blue-grey.

GriseliniaMedium sized tree with leathery, bright green leaves and tiny green and yellow flowers followed by small, purple-black fruit on the female tree.

Hibiscus richardsoniiPerennial coastal herb with creamy yellow flowers in summer

JuniperusThese evergreen feature trees are all very hardy and tolerant of extreme conditions

Lagerstroemia (Crepe myrtle)Satiny trunk with flowers in white, pink or magenta r in late summer.

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LavenderSummer blooming perennial shrubs with many small fragrant spikes of flowers that attract bees and contain essential oil

Libertia – NZ IrisAll year colour with bright golden strappy leaves and white flowers in spring followed by lasting golden seed pods

LiriopeLow growing grass like evergreen ground cover with masses of flower spikes in summer

LomandraEvergreen and almost indestructible, low growing softly weeping foliage with attractive flower spikes in summer

MesembryanthemumProstrate succulent herbs covered with showy pink or white flowers that open during the day

Metrosideros (Pohutukawa)Hardy evergreen trees with distinctive brilliant flowers in early summer

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OleariaFlowering native shrub or tree with white to cream daisy flowers and leathery or glossy leaves that are woolly underneath.

PittosporumHardy evergreen selection of natives with varied foliage suitable for quick screening or hedging

PhormiumNZ Native with wide variety of hybrids in a range of colours and styles

Podocarpus (Totara)Tall, slow-growing trees with thick stringy bark and brownish to bright green leaves

Portulaca (Sun Plant)Trailing annual with sprawling stems , succulent, leaves and large flowers in an array of bright, beautiful colours

PseudopanaxRemarkable small trees with varied foliage and distinctly different juvenile and adult forms. Native to scrub, grow well in coastal sites.

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RosemaryWoody perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves and tiny lavender flowers

Sanvitalia (Creeping Zinnia)Trailing annual with tiny yellow zinnia like flowers all summer

SedumLarge number of species of leaf succulents, varying from annual and creeping herbs to shrubs with water-storing leaves and 5 petaled flowers.

SucculentsA variety of water -retaining plants adapted to arid climate or soil conditions with a swollen or fleshy appearance

Vitex lucens (Puriri)Native tree with dark green glossy palmate leaves and large colourful tubular flowers in winter. Very important tree for native birds

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Westringia brevifoliaEasily grown shapely shrub with white flowers, dark green foliage and a covering of short hairs on new growth and leaf undersides giving a silvery tint

Xeronema callistemon (Poor Knight’s Lily)Stunning slow growing plant with fans of flax-like leaves and striking red flowers on tall stems in spring

And by category – this is a list of plants (by no means exclusive) that tolerate drought conditionsbetter than most. Australian and South African HardiesAnigozanthus (Kangaroos paws)BanksiasCallistemonEucalyptusGrevilleasLeucadendronLeucospermumProteasWestringiaEvergreensJuniperus Grasses and flaxesCarexChinochloa flavicans (Mini toetoe)LiriopeLomandraOphiopogon (Mondo grass)PhormiumNatives Arthropodium (Rengarenga lily)CoprosmaCordylineCorokiaGriseliniaHibiscus richardsoniiLibertia (NZ Iris)MetrosiderosOlearia (NZ Tree Daisy)Pachystegia insignis (Marlborough Rock Daisy)PittosporumPodocarpus (Totara)PseudopanaxVitex Lucens (Puriri)Xeronema callistemon (Poor Knight’s Lily)PerennialsArctotisCoreopsisGeraniumHemerocallisLavenderPhlomis Shrubs and bushesBrachyglottis greyiiCeanothus (Californian Lilac)Cistus (Rock Rose)Convolvulus mauritanicusCotoneasterEchium fatuosumEuphorbia glauco (Sea Spurge)Lagerstroemia (Crepe myrtle)Cotoneaster Erica Philadelphus coronarius - Mockorange Succulents and CactiMesembryanthemumPortulacaSedum TropicalsBangalow PalmDracaenasYuccas

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Education

Creating A Drought Resistant Garden - New Zealand