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New Gold Lantana |
You can have a colorful, water-efficient garden even in the midst
of a miserable drought. The key is to select annuals that don’t
require much water once they’re established.
Before you decide what to buy, consider a few other things. The
key is preparing the bed.
Well-tilled, amended soil holds moisture better than compressed
soils. The water doesn’t wick as easily from particle to
particle. And the amendments can adsorb water and hold moisture.
Compost and peat moss do this very well.
Thicker Mulch
The next step is to apply a slightly thicker layer of mulch.
Usually, we recommend 2 to 4 inches of straw or bark chips in
annual beds. In a drought, apply 6 inches. Do it carefully by
hand, though. Don’t bury or overwhelm the annuals.
One technique is to apply 2 to 3 inches of mulch over newly
prepared beds. Plant the annuals through the mulch in staggered
rows. Then apply the next 3 inches of mulch between the rows.
As long as you don’t level out the mulch between the rows, it
winds up forming a cone-shaped area the annual can grow into. By
midsummer, rain, wind or irrigation will level things out without
suffocating the now established annuals.
Beat the Heat
The increased layer will reduce soil temperatures and cut
moisture loss due to heat- and wind-driven evaporation. The
result: plants will grow fairly well, with much less water, even
in 100-degree heat.
Fertilize as you would normally. But consider using soluble
fertilizers. These are mixed with water and applied with a hose
end sprayer. At half the rate suggested on the package, your
annuals will grow superbly.
Plant Soon
Plant your annuals as soon as is possible. All bedding plants
need about three weeks to get new roots established and should be
in the ground by June 1.
During the first three weeks, water only when the plants begin to
sag or look wilted. As the weeks go by, water less.
After about five weeks, for example, don’t water at the first
sign of sagging. Wait a few hours or even until the next day.
Finally, when you do water, water thoroughly to encourage the
roots to grow deep.
In tilled, mulched soils, moisture tends to be just above the
untilled hardpan. If roots can reach this zone, the plants will
do well.
‘Sweet 16’
Now, for the best annual color in hot, dry and very sunny places,
choose from this “Sweet 16” assembly of drought-tolerant
annuals.
- Tithonia rotundifolia (Mexican sunflower) grows to 10
feet tall, and swallowtails love it. Try “Torch” or
“Fiesta.” - Helianthus annuus (sunflower hybrids) offers so many
choices! They’re grown from seed, and birds love the seeds in the
fall. - Cleome hassleriana (spider flower). Grandmother used
these tried-and-true flowers. Sow seeds in dense colonies. - Cosmos bipinnatus (summer cosmos). Seed as early as
possible. Dwarf 15-inch and tall 36-inch varieties available.
Inexpensive seed almost fail-proof if kept moist. - Melampodium paludosum ‘Medallion’ (medallion plant).
Sometimes called “Mother of a million,” it produces a 4-foot
mound of gold by September. - Celosia cristata (cockscomb). Pinch plants just after
transplanting for awesome summer color. Plant on 4-inch
centers. - Catharanthus roseus (common bedding vinca). Low
fertility and 6-inch centers are best. Pacifica and Cooler series
do well in Georgia. - Lantana camara (common mounding lantana). New Gold is
the all-time favorite. There are dozens more. - Alternanthera dentata (purple calico plant). It’s new.
Huge, purple, dense foliage forms a spectacular bush. Wave Hill
is the best. - Verbena tenuisecta (moss verbena) grows effortlessly
if established early. It can be grown from seed in fall. - Asclepias currasavica (bloodflower) grows to 4 feet
tall and attracts butterflies. Monarch caterpillars grow well on
it. - Mirabilis jalapa (four-o’clocks) is an old-timey,
shrub-like annual that doesn’t fail. Plant on 1-foot
centers. - Zinnia liniearis (creeping zinnia) comes in orange,
yellow, cream and white. Plant on 4-inch centers. - Duranta erecta (pigeon berry) forms a 3-foot shrub
with sky-blue or white flowers followed by yellow berries.
Swallowtails love it. - Plumbago auriculata (common plumbago) must be
established in May. It grows slowly. Give it room — it spreads
to a 3-foot circle. - Gompherena globosa (globeflower) has purple, pink and
other colors of pincushion-like flowers butterflies love. Grows
tall. Pinch plants. Then mulch.
