Drought-Resistant Garden

Cover Up

One top tip from the RHS this year is to make the most of mulch. Laying a thick coat of wood chips or bark over your exposed soil will help slash water loss from evaporation. But if you thought mulching was all about boring brown bark, think again.

Merseymulch, for example, has come up with an award-winning range of bright dyes for creating eye-catching mulch based on recycled wood. You can even use powdered rubber made from recycled tyres...

Hold the Water

Succulents aren't just plants for popping in small displays on your windowsill. You can turn their fantastic variety of colour and texture into striking displays in the garden, whether in established rockeries or in tubs, pots or sinks. They come in all shapes and sizes, from spikey, stripy Agave to delicate sedum and the architectural Echeveria. With their fleshy leaves, these hardy little plants will need next to no watering yet create a stunning display throughout the summer.

To grow succulents from seed, try the Thompson & Morgan range.

Meadowlands

For more inspired drought-resistant planting, you won' do better than grasses. Many of the blue foliage varieties such as Festuca Elijah Blue and Elymus magellanicus look amazing but can tolerate extremely dry conditions. Some Californian grasses and sedges such as Carex praegracillis can also handle extremely dry conditions. The shorter species are perfect alongside paths and patios or in tubs. The taller varieties can be planted as transparent screens that will highlight colourful planting beyond.

For a wide variety of grasses, visit grass and perennial specialists Knoll Gardens.