Dry Gardens

This page looks at the design style dry gardens

What makes a dry garden?

Rather than providing water to suit our plants we can choose plants to suit the natural water available. Dry gardens can be made in a variety of styles and importantly they don’t have to be just filled with succulents. There are a lot of plants that suit many styles that do not need significant watering after establishment.

Principles

  • Hydrozoning

  • Choosing plants that naturally grow in the area.

  • Choosing plants with extremely low water needs

Common design elements

  • Gravel

  • Boulders

  • Structural plantings

Plantings

Succulents

  • Agave

  • Aloe

  • Echeveria

  • Beschorneria

  • Haemanthus

Australian Grasses

  • Austrostipa stipoides

Increasing Drainage

When we choose plants that have lower water needs than our local weather provides, we need to take action to ensure the plants are not negatively affected by too much water.

  • Adding sand and stone to media

  • Agricultural pipe in-ground taking water away

  • Mounding up soil above the surrounding soil heights

Adaptations of Plants for Dry Areas

  • Low surface area on leaves

  • Water storage

  • Modified stems

  • Coatings on leaves

Session Outline

  • What makes a dry garden?

  • Common design elements

  • Plantings

  • Principles

Presentations