A garden without water — or almost

For your gardens to survive on little water, you must carefully prepare the soil, provide the appropriate care immediately after planting, and make intensive use of organic matter and mulch.

• Dig the soil to break up clods and remove the stones. It will then be easier for the water to permeate the soil particles.
• Assess the drainage capacity of your soil by performing atest. Good drainage is essential for a garden that is water efficient.
• Add large amounts of organic matter — compost, mushroom compost and manure — and bury it at the thickness of at least one iron spade.
• Group the plants according to their water needs. In this way, you can then water the water intensive plants and allow the more resistant plants to wait for the rain.
• Dig a trough at the foot of each plant so that any rain is immediately directed to the roots.
• Even the most drought resistant plant needs water at the time of planting. Moisten the soil well by slowly pouring a full watering can of water into it.
• Mulch the root zone without touching the stem or trunk to avoid the development of collar rot.
• Allow the root system to become established and decrease watering until the plant is able to content itself with the precipitation.

Save water and money by choosing your plants carefully. Ask about their water needs before purchasing them.

• Many trees, shrubs and grasses native to North America do well at supporting long periods of dryness.
• Think of succulent plants, which store water in their tissues, or of foliage plants, standing or hanging, which thus offer a reduced surface to the heat of the sun. Plants with leathery leaves also generally support dryness well.
• Choose plants with grey or silver foliage, such as the woolly hedge nettle. The downy hairs covering the leaves limit water loss.