X: Xeriscape Herbs

Xeriscaping is landscaping and gardening that reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water from irrigation.

Many herbs are drought tolerant and are perfect plants for a garden when you’re trying to plant with a mind to conserving water.

Thyme

Some of my favorite drought tolerant herbs to use in landscaping are:
Artemisia
Bay
Costmary
Echinacea
Fennel, Bronze Fennel
Germander
Horehound
Lambs Ear
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Mexican Oregano (not a true oregano)
Mullein
Rosemary
Sage
Santolina
Thyme
Yarrow

Lavender

I have a large area in the middle of my garden area that gets baked by our intense Texas summer sun. There’s no shade relief during the blazing summer days, so I decided to start transitioning to drought tolerant plants. And then…we had the weeks of massive rains. And with the clay soil here, that area was a standing puddle, ankle deep, for two to three weeks.

Goodbye lavender. Goodbye thyme. Goodbye rosemary. Goodbye salvias – all three of you. The yarrow survived, along with the iris.

(Big sigh!) Here we go again. This weekend I’ll be planting three more lavenders back there while I make a wish list of plants to replace what I lost. My mullein out front also survived, so I’m spreading some seed, and young plants out back.

Here’s a few sites with good information on drought tolerant plants.

Advice from the Herb Lady

Herbs for a Drought Garden

The Herb Gardener

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