Xeriscape (low-water) plants

Plants suited to a xeriscape (low-water) planting scheme.

A low-water border is designed to thrive on rainfall alone once established, which makes it both drought-proof and low-maintenance, but it relies on getting the soil right. Counter-intuitively, sharp drainage matters more than fertility: most drought-tolerant plants come from lean, stony ground and rot in rich, damp soil, so add grit and gravel rather than compost, and mulch with stone chippings to keep roots cool and weeds down. Water new plants through their first summer only, then leave them to root deep. Grey, hairy, waxy and succulent leaves are the signs of plants built to cope. These plants are chosen to flourish with little or no watering, for gravel gardens and hot, dry banks.

Border Builder is a garden border planner for iPhone and iPad. Pick from the 225 plants below and it works them into a full plan: how many of each, where they go, and how the bed reads through the seasons.

225 plants for this

Related collections

Cottage garden plants Wildlife garden plants Native plants Woodland plants Modern plants Foundation planting plants