Drought tolerant perennial plants
There are plenty of drought tolerant perennials to choose from to bring colour, shape and interest to your garden, even in areas on dry sandy soils which experience the unabating glare of direct sunlight all day. These perennials also work well in gravel or rock gardens, as well as other low-maintenance planting schemes where the focus is on reducing or eliminating the need for back-breaking watering work that can become one of the less forgiving gardening jobs through the summer months. At the Eden Project, they have a ‘plants for a changing climate’ garden – some gardeners may want to build out a border on the same theme to future-proof for the continuing effects of climate change. We recommend Eryngium plants, commonly known as sea holly, for their intriguing leaves and stunning, exotic-looking flower spikes generally in shades of blue and white, which are rich in nectar for attracting bees to the garden. Another top pick is Euphorbia plants, aka Mediterranean spurge, with masses of buttercup style flowers on upright stalks that bring a splash of much-needed colour to the garden on dark February days, set off against silvery-blue foliage.