May 2, 2001
Stillwater Gazette
Betsy Halden

Now is also the time to plan our gardens

Wheeeee! The sun is out, the sky is clear, the temperature is in the 70’s. This is what we’ve been waiting for during our long, cold winter. You can almost hear steps of gardeners on their way to their garden tools, to their flower beds to see what’s up, and to the garden centers to see what’s new. This is an exciting time.

Now is also the time to plan our gardens. If you are looking for drought-tolerant annuals, here are some suggestions. We never know if we will have adequate summer rains.

Most annual flowers require consistent moisture during the growing season for adequate growth and bloom. However, there are a few annuals that perform well in dry weather. While other annuals are suffering from a lack of moisture, these annuals will flower profusely without a significant rise in the water bill. All of these drought tolerant annuals will require water initially to establish a good root system. Once established they require little watering. All perform best in full sun with well-drained soils.

With its fine textured foliage and yellow daisy-like flowers, Dahlberg Daisy ( Dyssodia tenuiloba) is an excellent annual for edging and containers. The small, dainty flowers measure ½ inch in diameter. The plant grows 6 to 8 inches tall with a 15 to 18 inch spread. Dahlberg daisy flowers in the hottest and driest of conditions.

Rose Moss (Portulaca grandiflora) can take the heat and the severest of droughts. This succulent annual is often used in containers or as a groundcover. It grows about 6 to 8 inches tall. Flowers are available in a wide range of bright and pastel colors with single or double flower forms. The plant is a native of Brazil and is known for tolerating dry summer conditions.

Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa) has clover-like heads. The globe-like flower heads are available in white, pink, lavender, yellow, and red. This old-fashioned garden plant is a favorite of many gardeners due to its durability, its use as a cut and dried flower, and its tolerance to poor sites. Its popularity as a dried flower is richly deserved. The dried flower heads retain their color for long periods. The plant ranges from 9 to 24 inches in height and has a 10 to 12 inch spread.

Dusty Miller (Senecio cineraria) is one of the few annuals grown for its foliage rather than for its flowers. The silvery-gray foliage of dusty miller is an attractive addition to beds, borders, edging, and containers. Leaf textures vary among cultivars. ‘Cirrus’ has rounded leaves while ‘Silverdust’ or ‘Silver Lace’ leaves are finely divided. Plants range from 8 to 16 inches tall. The compact bushy plants prefer hot and dry summer conditions. Avoid wet sites. Plants tend to rot in wet conditions.

Gazania (Gazania rigens) is another heat and drought tolerant daisy. The blooms come in Yellow, orange, bronze, pink, white, read, and various combinations. Many have darker centers. Flower heads are 2 to 3 inches in diameter. The dandelion-like foliage of gazania grows in basal rosettes, is dark green with white, fuzzy undersides. The plants range from 6 to 12 inches tall. Flowers tend to close at night and reopen the next morning.

Spider Flower (Cleome hasslerana) is an excellent choice for a plant with more height. Flowers come in pink, lavender, or white. The extended stamens (pollen-bearing organs of the flower) give it a spider-like appearance. Leaves are palmately compound and sometimes spiny at the base. While the plants respond to abundant moisture, they are tolerant of dry, hot conditions as well.

Melampodium (Melampodium paludosum) is an excellent heat and drought tolerant annual. The small, golden-yellow daisy flowers literally smother the 8 to 10 inch mounding plants all summer.

Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) is another commonly available drought tolerant annual. Periwinkle has glossy, dark green foliage and pink, salmon, lavender, or white flowers. The flowers often have contrasting centers or “eyes.” This contributes to making them stand out in the garden.

Other drought tolerant annuals include the following: Marigold (Tagetes sp.), Cockscomb (Celosia sp.), Sunflower (Helianthus sp.), and Zinnia (Zinnia sp.).These annuals will tolerate heat and drought better than we will.

Are you wondering when you can put down pre-emergence herbicides on your lawn? Deb Brown, University of Minnesota Extension Horticulturist recommends putting down pre-emergence products around late April/early May in the Twin Cities area. The products must be watered into the soil to become activated. If soil temps are still a bit cool, the products will not lose their effectiveness as rapidly as if the soil were warmer, so getting the product down a week or two before it's absolutely necessary is not a problem.

Betsy Halden is a Master Gardener with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. University of Minnesota Extension Service materials were consulted in the preparation of this column. You can reach Betsy Halden at eahalden@comcast.net