Mention waterwise or xeric gardening, and images of cacti and gravel come to mind. However, drought-tolerant plants don’t have to look sparse and bare—it’s possible to have a vibrant garden that thrives during a hot, rainless summer. And if you live in an area that typically gets plenty of water, count on waterwise plants to get your garden through dry spells without hours of extra pampering and watering.

A waterwise garden or xeriscape is a colorful, creative landscape with low water use, efficient irrigation, and a diversity of interesting plants. (The term “xeriscape” is a combination of the Greek word “xeri,” meaning dry or needing little water, with the word “landscaping.”) Follow these steps for a beautiful xeric garden that saves time, effort, money, and water.

Choose the right plants. To get an idea of which plants are drought tolerant in your region, look at fields or dry outcroppings in the midst of dry periods to see which plants are surviving. Talk to county extension agents, nurseries, and local plant societies about which drought-tolerant species thrive in your area.

In addition, looking at the plant itself can tell you whether it might be drought tolerant. For

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example, plants in the Asclepias genus and Baptisia genus have deep roots that can dig deep to find available water. (Plants with shallow roots close to the surface need more frequent watering.) Gray-foliaged plants that reflect heat and sunshine, such as lavender and artemesia, also thrive on minimal water. Succulents with a waxy coating such as sempervivums (hens and chicks) bask in full sun with scant soil and water because their waxy coating reduces transpiration of water from the leaves. Fleshy, water-retentive sedums, leathery-leafed yuccas, and succulent euphorbias are also drought tolerant.

Prepare the soil. While some drought-busters can grow successfully in well-amended garden soils, most prefer lean, well-drained soils. For example, if the soil is excessively fertile and rich, white gaura (Gaura lindheimeri) flops and declines rapidly. Salvia and penstemon also require lean, porous soils—if soil is too heavy, penstemon loses its vigor and eventually dies, while salvias meet their demise when heavy soils remain waterlogged in winter.

At a minimum, loosen existing soil by rototilling or double digging to increase aeration. Get your soil tested at a soil lab or local cooperative extension to find out which amendments your soil needs. If your area has cold, wet winters and your soil is high in clay, for example, you have a combination that’s often lethal to xeric plants.

Give drought-tolerant plants a healthy environment. When planting a xeric garden, apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of double-shredded hardwood mulch. Mulch snuffs out weeds, reduces moisture evaporation (keeping roots hydrated longer), and eventually breaks down into organic matter that

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enriches the soil. If you live in an area with heavy clay soil, mulch xeric plants such as lavender and salvia with small pea gravel or coarse sand instead of double-shredded hardwood. Weed frequently in the spring so weeds don’t get out of control; they quickly compete with garden plants for water and nutrients. Don’t fertilize water-stressed plants; fertilizer salt can burn water-deprived roots.

Water wisely. Most plant problems result from too little or too much water. Consider the age and type of plant, temperature, and soil type when watering. Drought-tolerant plants need one to two years to grow an extensive root system that enables them to withstand dry conditions, so water them regularly their first couple of seasons until they are well established. If possible, use a drip irrigation system instead of running a sprinkler for 30 minutes. This reduces weeds and delivers water only where it’s needed.

Excessive watering of foliage encourages disease. Saturate the soil, not the foliage, and water deeply and infrequently to encourage plant roots to grow deeper in search of water, resulting in a healthier root system. Water in the morning when evaporation is minimal to hydrate plants before the heat of day arrives.

Place plants with similar watering needs together to reduce your watering chores. Put thirsty

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plants close to a reliable water source, such as the end of a drainage pipe or a low depression where rainwater collects. Well-established xeric plants, on the other hand, will do well in areas further from a water source.

X-rated gardening?

No, we’re not talking about plant pornography. The Garden Centers of Colorado has come up with a clever way to educate the public about xeric, or drought-tolerant, plants—an X-rated labeling program. Each plant is tagged with an X, XX, or XXX.

X plants require less than 1 inch of water per week, XX plants require 1⁄2 inch of water per week, and XXX plants need 0 to 1⁄2 inch of water every other week. For plant lists and xeriscaping tips, go to www.xratedgardening.com.

Kim Hawks is a garden writer in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.