Garden Gate – October 2019

No Rain? No Problem. You Can

Still Have a Gorgeous Garden

PAM PENICK

Garden Designer

and Author,

Austin, TX

E

ven if you live where rainfall is reliable, a water-

conscious garden just makes sense. A thrifty

approach to watering saves work and puts more

money in your pocketbook. Garden author and

designer Pam Penick of Austin, Texas, has loads of

experience creating great-looking gardens that can

take the heat and thrive without having to drag the

hose around the yard. She says drought-tolerant

gardens are more about practices than any particular

style and are perfectly suited to any of North

America’s varied growing regions. Even traditional-

looking perennial borders like the one at right can

be waterwise with plants like these. Here are some of

Pam’s suggestions.

CUT BACK The easiest way to use less water is

to increase the amount of permeable paving and

decrease lawn size. But that doesn’t mean getting rid

of turf altogether—think lush green “throw rugs”

instead of “wall-to-wall carpet.”

Mulch, gravel, unmortared brick or stone—none

of these surfaces require a drop of water to look

good, and they allow rain to pass through to the soil.

Adding generously sized seating or dining areas, a

mulched area around the playset and path to connect

them will lower your water bill in no time.

WATER WISELY Early morning and late afternoon

are the best times to water to keep evaporation

to a minimum. Use a watering wand to water

deeply (instead of light watering frequently) so

plants develop an extensive root system that better

withstands drought. Even better, use a soaker hose or

drip system on a timer to get the H 2 O right where it’s

needed—at soil level. These systems save a lot of work

and there’s no worry about wet foliage being a magnet

for fungal diseases.

Mulch is your go-to material for conserving

moisture. Pam recommends using just ½ to 1 inch

of organic material. Any deeper and it forms a hard

crust so water is more likely to shed off when it rains

instead of soak in. She also recommends pushing the

mulch out near the drip line as the illustration above

shows to form a small basin so water pools and soaks

in around the plant’s roots.

KEEP WHAT YOU GET Holding on to the rain

that falls on your property is a great water-wise

strategy. Hook a rain barrel up to your downspout

for a supply of water that will get you through dry

spells. Save even more water with a cistern, which

is a popular solution in the Southwest. Large tanks

(either above or below ground) capture excess rain

water for use during hot, dry summers.

Another great way to keep the water that falls is

with a rain garden. It slows water down so it doesn’t

rush into storm sewers, carrying pesticides and other

chemicals into surrounding wetlands or bodies of

water. A rain garden is an area of the yard with a

gentle slope leading to a shallow basin fi lled with

plants that don’t mind having wet feet from time to

time. The basin holds some of the rain water so it

slowly soaks in, keeping plants happy and cleaning

the water as it percolates down through the soil.

When it comes to drought-tolerant gardening, last

but not least, you want to choose the right plants.

Turn the page for a gallery of Pam’s favorites.

Botanical

Names

Dalmation bellflower

Campanula

portenschlagiana

Hen and chicks

Sempervivum

spp. and hybrids

Variegated sweet iris

Iris pallida

12 GARDEN GATE | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149

PHOTOS: C

ourtesy of Pam Penick (portrait); DESIGN: Sabrina and Freeland

Tanner, Proscape Landscape Design, http://www.freelandtannerdesigns.com (lead)

Create

a ridge

so water

doesn’t

easily

escape.

GG14912_15_SW.indd 12GG14912_15_SW.indd 12 6/26/2019 8:50:02 AM6/26/2019 8:50:02 AM

No Rain? No Problem. You Can

Still Have a Gorgeous Garden

PAMPENICK

GardenDesigner

andAuthor,

Austin,TX

E

ven if you live where rainfall is reliable, a water-

consciousgardenjustmakessense.Athrifty

approachtowateringsavesworkandputsmore

moneyinyourpocketbook.Gardenauthorand

designerPamPenickofAustin,Texas,hasloadsof

experiencecreatinggreat-lookinggardensthatcan

taketheheatandthrivewithouthavingtodragthe

hosearoundtheyard.Shesaysdrought-tolerant

gardensaremoreaboutpracticesthananyparticular

styleandareperfectlysuitedtoanyofNorth

America’svariedgrowingregions.Eventraditional-

lookingperennialbordersliketheoneatrightcan

bewaterwisewithplantslikethese.Herearesomeof

Pam’ssuggestions.

CUTBACK Theeasiestwaytouselesswateris

toincreasetheamountofpermeablepavingand

decreaselawnsize.Butthatdoesn’tmeangettingrid

ofturfaltogether—thinklushgreen“throwrugs”

insteadof“wall-to-wallcarpet.”

Mulch,gravel,unmortaredbrickorstone—none

ofthesesurfacesrequirea dropofwatertolook

good,andtheyallowraintopassthroughtothesoil.

Addinggenerouslysizedseatingordiningareas,a

mulchedareaaroundtheplaysetandpathtoconnect

themwillloweryourwaterbillinnotime.

WATERWISELY Earlymorningandlateafternoon

arethebesttimestowatertokeepevaporation

toa minimum.Usea wateringwandtowater

deeply(insteadoflightwateringfrequently)so

plantsdevelopanextensiverootsystemthatbetter

withstandsdrought.Evenbetter,usea soakerhoseor

dripsystemona timertogettheH 2 Orightwhereit’s

needed—atsoillevel.Thesesystemssavea lotofwork

andthere’snoworryaboutwetfoliagebeinga magnet

forfungaldiseases.

Mulchis yourgo-tomaterialforconserving

moisture.Pamrecommendsusingjust½to1 inch

oforganicmaterial.Anydeeperandit formsa hard

crustsowateris morelikelytoshedoffwhenit rains

insteadofsoakin.Shealsorecommendspushingthe

mulchoutnearthedriplineastheillustrationabove

showstoforma smallbasinsowaterpoolsandsoaks

inaroundtheplant’sroots.

KEEPWHATYOUGET Holdingontotherain

thatfallsonyourpropertyis a greatwater-wise

strategy.Hooka rainbarreluptoyourdownspout

fora supplyofwaterthatwillgetyouthroughdry

spells.Saveevenmorewaterwitha cistern,which

is a popularsolutionintheSouthwest.Largetanks

(eitheraboveorbelowground)captureexcessrain

waterforuseduringhot,drysummers.

Anothergreatwaytokeepthewaterthatfallsis

witha raingarden.It slowswaterdownsoit doesn’t

rushintostormsewers,carryingpesticidesandother

chemicalsintosurroundingwetlandsorbodiesof

water.Araingardenis anareaoftheyardwitha

gentleslopeleadingtoa shallowbasinfilledwith

plantsthatdon’tmindhavingwetfeetfromtimeto

time.Thebasinholdssomeoftherainwatersoit

slowlysoaksin,keepingplantshappyandcleaning

thewaterasit percolatesdownthroughthesoil.

Whenit comestodrought-tolerantgardening,last

butnotleast,youwanttochoosetherightplants.

Turnthepagefora galleryofPam’sfavorites.

Botanical
Names

Dalmation bellflower
Campanula
portenschlagiana
Hen and chicks
Sempervivum
spp. and hybrids
Variegated sweet iris
Iris pallida

12 GARDEN GATE | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149

PHOTOS: C

ourtesy of Pam Penick (portrait); DESIGN: Sabrina and Freeland

Tanner, Proscape Landscape Design, http://www.freelandtannerdesigns.com (lead)

Create

a ridge

so water

doesn’t

easily

escape.