Drought Tolerant Gardening
Creating a drought-tolerant garden
can save you time and money!
A drought-tolerant or drought-resistant plant can survive with very little, if any artificial watering or irrigation once it is established. Native plants flourish in our ecosystem, characterized by dry summers and wet winters.
What are the benefits of a drought-tolerant garden?
Want to work with nature and still enjoy a beautiful view throughout the growing season? Garry Oak meadow ecosystems, including the trees, flowers and grasses that naturally live in them, are adapted to survive in our dry summers. They actually do most of their growing in winter: oaks increase their roots and bulbs send up the following year’s shoots. In summer, they go dormant; that’s why they can survive on so little water during the warmest months.
How can I create my own drought-tolerant garden?
Putting the right plant in the right place is the secret to successful gardening. When buying plants, it is important to consider the sun exposure and soil conditions of your garden. Partial shade means there should be at least a few hours of direct sunlight every day.
Native plants, such as Oregon Grape, Snowberry, native grasses and flowers thrive once established in our gardens, helping to strengthen our native ecosystems. This helps our region practice good water conservation habits, protect park ecology and care for our watersheds. Native plants also create corridors of habitat and food sources for beneficial insects and wildlife.
To help choose the right drought tolerant plants for your garden, please download and view the following resources, which are all in (PDF 
) form:
- Attracting Wildlife to Your Garden
- Common Edible Native Plants
- Common Native Plants for Shade Conditions
- Common Native Plants for Sunny Conditions
- Common Native Plants for the Seashore
- Common Plants Of The Garry Oak Ecosystem
- Container Gardening With Native Plants In Shade
- Container Gardening With Native Plants In Sun
- Creating A Butterfly Garden With Native Plants
- Evergreen Native Plants
- Native Plant Meadow Flowers And Grasses
- Native Plant Ground Covers
- Native Plant Resource List
- Native Plants By Flower Berry Colour And For Seasonal Interest
- Native Plants For Moist Wet Sites
- Native Plants For Rock Gardens
- Native Plants For Sun Loving Thickets
- Native Plants For Woodland Gardens
- Notes On Attracting Wildlife To Your Garden
For more information about drought tolerant landscaping, please see the following document:
For more information on on native plants, please see our Native Plant Workshops section.