Some like it hot: Drought-tolerant plants can be economical choice

Man is it dry! How dry is it? It's as dry as......! You fill in the blank. All I know is that most gardeners are spending a lot of time at the end of a garden hose. So that probably tells you how dry it is.

I, too, have been spending a lot of time at the end of a garden hose. One of my day jobs is to help keep all of the plants at the garden center watered. Although water is relatively inexpensive, I find that we spend hundreds of dollars each month for water.

The same is true for many area gardeners. Conversations at this time of the summer seem to revolve around watering, and, of course, the cost of water. The conversations then usually travel to the subject of plants that can withstand hot, dry conditions without requiring a lot of water.

Fortunately you can find several drought-tolerant plants at your neighborhood garden center. The first that comes to mind are grasses found in the genera of Miscanthus and Erianthus. Varieties such as morning light, maiden grass and zebra grass can all withstand dry conditions. On the other hand, any water that they receive is certainly appreciated.

Some plants, such as succulents, come with their own water reserve. Purslane and moss rose are great plants for dry conditions. Their flowers close at night, but open during the day to give you a dazzling array of one-inch-diameter blooms. Be careful though, most gardeners have a tendency to overwater these plants, resulting in rotting stems. It seems the drier and hotter the better.

Other plants that like dry conditions are members of the composite family. Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susans), ratibida, cone-flower and gaillardia are all commonly found naturally in dry, sunny environments. Just drive through the countryside during the summer and you will find many of these perennials blooming along gravel roads.

A few of the plants that are not usually mentioned when talking about drought conditions are candytuft, celosia and thyme. Don't forget these plants because they provide you with different heights, textures and colors.

Because it is one of my favorite plants, I have left vinca major for last. This annual flower is often mistaken for impatiens because of the flower size. It blooms continually all summer long; it likes it hot and dry.

Perhaps the fact that vinca likes it hot and dry is one reason it is not planted as much as I think it should be. Gardeners who plant vinca early in the season often complain that their vinca is yellow and it just isn't growing. Early in the spring our temperatures are cool, and we usually have a lot of rain. Both cool temperatures and moisture are hard on vinca.

I hope I have given you some planting suggestions for your landscape during this dry time. Perhaps by going to more drought-tolerant plants, you can spend more time away from the end of a garden hose.

Send your gardening and landscape questions to Paul Schnare at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699 or by e-mail to news@semissourian.com.