It doesn’t matter where you live—if you’re deciding what to plant based on weather forecasting, you may as well buy monthly lottery tickets and expect them to pay the rent. While one coast is being warned of a drier summer, the other is being given a heads-up that it’s going to be soggier than normal—and the places in between are being told that things for them could go either way. If we can’t predict and control the weather, we can at least apply our secret superpower—informed plant choices for a sustainable landscape. That’s right, we can assemble our own A-Team of tough plants that will survive and thrive, whatever happens. Here are some tips for choosing the best tough plants for sustainable gardening—using drought-tolerant and low-maintenance plants that offer season-long interest while requiring fewer chemicals and less water.
The first step in selecting plants that will be able to look after themselves in your landscape, garden, or even patio is to simply take a walk around the neighborhood. When you see plants you like that are obviously thriving, take a quick photo to help identify them if you don’t already recognize them. Do a bit more research, either online or by checking with your local garden center, to learn which plants have a reputation for strong performance in your area.
Sustainable landscapes don’t have to just look like cactus or desert scrub, though. If you think roses are out, for instance, think again. Easy-care, drought-tolerant Flower Carpet® ground cover roses can be a great choice for low-maintenance, season-long color in beds or containers. With their two-tier root system, Flower Carpet roses are extremely drought tolerant and will continue to bloom even under very difficult circumstances.
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