Drought Tolerant Landscaping Ideas Cali Yards Blog 4
Never thought you’d use “drought tolerant” and “veggies” in the same sentence? We have news for you – good news! Lots of popular vegetables are surprisingly water-miserly. Your landscape plan can be the soul of sustainability and a culinary masterpiece, too. Yum. And if you have kids, planting veggies can be a wonderful way to introduce them to the joys of gardening as well as get them to eat their vegetables.
Here is a sampling of veggies that are low on thirst but high in flavor:
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beans
Blue corn
Eggplant
Melons
Mustard greens
Okra
Rhubarb
Onions and garlic
Summer and winter squash (including pumpkins)
Sweet and hot peppers
Tomatoes
To conserve water, choose varieties with smaller fruits and shorter growing seasons. To conserve space, grow vining and twining veggies on trellises. If you choose the right varieties, you can even extend your veggie garden’s productivity into fall or winter.
Don’t neglect herbs
The woody varieties such as culinary sage, rosemary, and thyme are gorgeous additions to any garden and culinary staples as well. All three come in a variety of sizes, leaf or flower colors, and fragrances. And most of them are evergreen here in the Bay Area.
CONCLUSION
As Californians, we know we will always face drought — or the threat of drought – as we move into the future. But we’re tough, and we’re creative. And we care deeply about our environment. So we’ve embraced drought tolerant gardening as the new normal.
If you’ve read this far, you’re now well aware that there is nothing restrictive about drought tolerant landscaping. You can design whatever you want, no matter the size or shape of your space, no matter your aesthetic or functional goals.
With so many choices, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. We’ve offered lots of ideas, and you need only look online to find a wealth of additional ideas. You may also want to learn about are the latest trends in garden design.