Robert Downey Jr 's garden features 3 key trends that will be big news for 2024

Table Of Content

• Plant up dry garden containers for color and scent
• Gorgeous Drought-Tolerant Garden Plans and Ideas
• Choose drought-resistant or drought-tolerant plants.
• A Xeric Meadow Garden
• Drought Resistant vs. Drought Tolerant Plants
• Robert Downey Jr.'s picturesque garden is a masterclass in the 3 key outdoor trends that will be big news for 2024

The next step in designing a drought-tolerant yard is to choose plants that are well-suited to the local climate. Now you know your soil type factor this in, as well as the level of sun exposure, how windy it is, and how much rainfall you get in your area. Noelle is a horticulturist, landscape consultant, and garden writer who lives in the Phoenix, Arizona, metro area. Popularly known as the 'AZ Plant Lady,' her passion for over 20 years has been to inspire and teach people to create, grow, and maintain beautiful gardens that thrive in a hot, dry climate. For more lush xeriscaping, you might need to water and fertilize more often than once or twice a year.

Plant up dry garden containers for color and scent

Important for locking moisture in soil, using mulching as part of your drought-tolerant yard design is crucial as it helps make some plants more resilient to climate extremes. There are many different types of mulch available, including wood chips and compost, but you can also use a layer of gravel or pebbles, which look great with drought-tolerant perennial planting. Designing a successful drought-tolerant yard is easy if you plan properly. This should include choosing the right drought tolerant planting and making sure plants are happy in the soil, as well as working out the best practices for a water-wise garden. No garden is genuinely maintenance-free, but there are xeriscaping options that get reasonably close.

Gorgeous Drought-Tolerant Garden Plans and Ideas

There are upfront costs to converting your space to a xeriscaped area, but some areas offer cash-back style incentives and rebates, so it’s worth checking with your local city and state offices. Over time the most substantial cost reductions come from the lower maintenance costs and lower water bills. The design of your xeriscaping matters quite a bit when it comes to water conservation and thriving plants.

Choose drought-resistant or drought-tolerant plants.

Depending on what you are planting, you may want to amend your soil. Amended soil retains moisture better and captures rainwater, while poor compacted soil allows water to run off the surface. Use organic matter such as compost, decomposed leaves, manure, or a combination. You may wish to add perlite, vermiculite, or lava rock (to help with aeration at the root zone) if planting cactus or succulents, but best to plant these in a mounded area. At its best, a timber deck is a handsome, hard-wearing surface that complements most garden settings. It’s a natural material that provides a sympathetic background to plants, blending beautifully with water, stone and trees.

Stone or gravel doesn’t need replacing, but they’re best in somewhat shady areas or gardens where the heat they soak up won’t damage your plants. In some applications, hot stones used as mulch may cause valuable moisture to evaporate. Wood mulch isn’t the best choice for all types of plants, and some types of mulch, such as pine, can increase soil acidity. Mulch comes in various colors and textures, making it a great option if you want to match it with any other design elements. Gravel mulch is very popular with xeric gardening, but it’s not the only choice.

For example, Miscanthus can become weedy in some areas of the country, but this is usually less problematic when planting a cultivar like 'Silberfeder' in this plan. Drought-tolerant landscapes can create curb appeal by achieving a balanced look with softscape and hardscape elements. Adding hardscape means a yard with less maintenance and water consumption than an all-plant landscape would require. Many plants found in garden centers are imported from other locations or countries.

This Drought-Tolerant Landscape Plan Looks Gorgeous with Little Water - Better Homes & Gardens

This Drought-Tolerant Landscape Plan Looks Gorgeous with Little Water.

Posted: Mon, 22 Aug 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

At the planning stage look at installing a low-pressure drip system to deliver water to the root zone of your plants. Alternatively you can convert your existing sprinkler to drip mode or adapt spray heads to make them more water-efficient. Leaving soil bare can lead to erosion, run off and water waste, but mulching has benefits that counteract these. Add a thick layer of mulch to the surface of the soil and it will soak up any rainwater. Try the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) for ideas about nature-based design solutions to climate impacts such as drought, extreme heat, and biodiversity loss. Watering from below is another way of getting water to the roots of your plants without waste through evaporation.

Award-winning designer Libby Russell of Mazzullo + Russell Landscape Design suggests combining drought-tolerant plants in pots to give a longer season of color. Landscaping with cactus will also provide texture and structure, as well as flowers, in sunny gardens where winter rainfall is also low – some will not tolerate temperatures below freezing. 'Make seating and dining areas where you will be protected from the sun, either under a tree or a pergola, which you can cover with a climber such as wisteria, or where the house provides shade. Alternatively, if space is limited, a beautiful patio umbrella would do the job,' advises Californian designer Judy Kameon of Elysian Landscapes.

Plant Your Parking Strip

A favorite among butterflies and pollinators, catmint adds a soft touch of color and grace to borders or edging flower beds. This charming perennial forms soft, mounding clumps adorned with fragrant lavender or pink flowers throughout the summer. Sonya Harris is an award-winning gardening expert with two decades of experience teaching and sharing her extensive knowledge about small space gardening. She is a Master Gardener and founder of the award-winning Bullock Garden Project in New Jersey. Sonya has written for Martha Stewart Living, won South Jersey Magazine’s One to Watch Award, and is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

In cooler climes, keep succulents’ compost dry in winter or when plants are dormant. 'Zone 1 can be a small oasis near the house, perhaps with colorful container planting that will need the most water, but also have the greatest impact,' says Kendall. Then mark out where you want your seating, water features and planting. Kendall McCumber, suggests utilizing a zone system for the plants.

It could mean planting in fall before the snow comes, or in early spring before the heat sets in. What I've learned is that the sooner you can get it established, the better off you'll be as these hot, dry, and drought conditions persist in the years to come. Free, one-time registration allows unlimited access to all garden plans, available as printable PDFs. If you aren't able to find the exact cultivars listed above, substitute with others that have similar colors, shapes, and sizes. And because some plants can become overly aggressive and spread out of control in certain climates, always check which species are considered invasive in your area before planting.

These include prairie plants such as coneflower, blazing star, and black-eyed Susan, along with other regional native trees, shrubs, and perennials. Creating landscapes that use less water, also known as xeriscaping, is becoming more common and imperative. Some communities have instituted restrictions on water use and the type of plants that can be grown.

These include a mix of North American native fescues, Festuca occidentalis, F. The key to success with dry gardens is choosing drought-tolerant plants suited to your climate, site and soil, and to plant them correctly to ensure they thrive. Also add a shaded seating area and a water feature to animate your space and support birds and beneficial insects. This versatile plant provides year-round color and texture and is perfect for slopes. Due to its spreading habit, it helps add greenery to rock gardens or acts as a living mulch in garden beds. Stunning pink variegation develops a brilliant red flush as the weather cools.