When you think of drought tolerant gardens the first plants that may spring to mind are succulents and cacti, along with other plant species more accustomed to growing in a desert. Whilst there are many great gardens created along these planting concepts, making a drought tolerant garden doesn’t necessarily involve only using these plant types. And one group of plants that you could consider if you want to create a garden which requires less water is that of the Papaver somniferum.
Grey/Green somniferum leaves (source: Wikimedia Commons) Many plants which are suitable for drought tolerant planting are those with grey leaves. Papaver somniferum species have grey green leaves which not only help reflect the light (ideal if you want to brighten up darker spaces) but also help them cope with drier conditions than many other plants can survive in. They therefore can be safely used if you want to bring color and flower to dry patches of gardens or entire outside retreats which are more suitable for drier climates.
Not only saving you both time and money on sprinkler systems or hand watering, using Papaver somniferum species will ensure that your garden remains a rich and thriving oasis throughout the year. Many traditional desert plants are slow to grow and rare to flower, making gardens often quite flowerless. In addition, succulents in particular can be ground hugging plants, not offering much structural appeal to horticultural spaces. But by ensuring that you use a fantastic range of poppies you can bring color and vibrancy to even the most drought tolerant of gardens.
To find poppies for your own drought tolerant garden, visit One Stop Poppy Shoppe.
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