While creating a beautiful garden is a very rewarding endeavour, the associated water bills can sometimes put a 'damper' on things. The following perennials are hardy and drought-resistant, meaning they can get by with a little less water!
Perennials tend to be more drought resistant than annuals simply due to the fact that they have a more established plant and root system. If you’re looking for perennials that will thrive better than most in dry locations, we recommend the following. Keep in mind though, that all newly planted perennials will require more frequent waterings at the start to help them get established.
Coneflower (Echinacea) – Easy to grow, drought tolerant and their flowers are long-lasting, is it any wonder coneflowers are so popular? They create a beautiful display with their daisy-like flowers, and bloom from summer through fall. Did we mention their seeds give birds a feed source over the winter and they are popular with butterflies too?
Globe Thistle (Echinops ‘Blue Globe’) – Talk about easy to grow, the thing is literally a thistle! But hear us out, the flower on this plant may be one of the best you’ve ever seen. Come summer it’ll produce round metallic-blue flowers that are great for drying.
Sage, Meadow (Salvia ‘Select Blue Violet’) – Popular with butterflies, bees and hummingbirds, it’s popular with us too. Salvia have flowers in blue-violet from midsummer through early fall making it a welcome addition to the garden.
Sage, Russian (Perovskia atriplicifolia) – Pretty on the eyes and tough to kill! Silvery leaves and purple flowers make this super hardy perennial a stunning plant to behold. Hardy to Zone 2, it’s one of the toughest plants you can grow and stands up to deer, rabbits and the heat too.
Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina) – The leaves on this lovely plant really are soft and fuzzy like the ears of a lamb. Silvery in colour, this easy to care for ground cover can be a prolific grower in great soil.
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia) – This tough perennial is a prairie plant that produces bright blooms all summer and into fall in shades of red and yellow.
Lavender (Lavendula) – If it seems like you keep reading about lavender on our garden guides, it’s because you are. Lavender is just one of those plants that has everything you want from a plant. It smells great, looks good and is super tough. While it doesn’t love being wet it will look wonderful in your garden and can be used for its herbal properties too.
Yarrow (Achillea) – This is one hardy plant! Resistant to deer, rabbits and a variety of other pests, it also stands up to the heat and drought. With flowers in many colours that work well in cut flower arrangements, it’s hard to go wrong with some yarrow.
Sedum – If you look the word 'tough' up in the plant dictionary, you may find a picture of a sedum. With an endless list of varieties, sedums come in many shapes and sizes but they have one thing in common; they are tough as nails. Their waxy leaves hold in water and give you great versatility.
Sundrops (Oenothera macrocarpa) – Bright and cheerful flower from spring to early fall, isn’t that what you want from a perennial? This plant offers cute yellow blossoms all growing season and takes the heat too. It is a very good grower so if you have rich soil, watch that it doesn’t get too aggressive with it’s growth.
