22 Colorful Drought Tolerant Perennials for Pollinators

[@pattischolten7303]

You do such a fantastic job narrating and presenting and producing your videos. Thank you!

[@GardenSanity]

My pleasure Patti! And thank you for your feedback - I really appreciate it! 🌺

[@tnsw166]

Wonderful information! It's great that you also include the zone numbers of the plants and their moisture requirements. Would love to see more videos on other varieties of drought resistant plants, both perennials and annuals.

[@GardenSanity]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks for your suggestion for more drought resistant perennials and annuals - I’ll keep that in mind. 😀

[@mifasola1]

My question is how do you become a Proven Wiinners trial garden? I live about 10 minutes from Walter's Gardens and what are the criteria?

[@GardenSanity]

They reached out to me. There are many gardeners here on KZbin who help “trial” plants for them, and we are each located in different parts of the US - each in climates and hardiness zones that are different from Michigan (where they are based). Being in a different area of the country helps Walters Gardens better learn how their plants perform under all kinds of conditions. 🌞❄️⛈️🌪️💦🌨️

[@MichelleLending]

Thank you for sharing with us!! I love ❤️ your garden and im loving some new flowers coming out in 2025 too!!😊

[@GardenSanity]

My pleasure! 💛 Yes, every year I look forward to seeing what new perennial flowers are coming out too! 😀

[@edanaestenes9656]

I can't grow penstemon because the rabbits destroy it and it doesn't recover. Same with coneflowers. They eat them till they kill them.

[@GardenSanity]

Unfortunately, rabbits do love those perennials. That's why I have them in our backyard, where we've sealed up all of the entrances from those pesky rabbits. So far, so good. But I can relate as I've lost quite a few coneflowers to rabbits in the past. 🩷 You might like a video I have called "19 Perennials That Rabbits Hate" here on my KZbin channel, filled with many options to plant.

[@GinaBobbolina]

Laura, great video, thank you for sharing. I discovered caryopteris several years ago. We're zone 6B. Have Longwood Blue & Dark Knight varieties. Love them for the reasons you mentioned... blooms late summer into fall, just when plants are looking haggard, and only color seems to be mums. Deer resistant & easy to grow. I prune back in spring to keep them manageable size and they are vigorous growers. Bees LOVE them; suggest planting away from doors if that bothers you. Happy 4th! 🇺🇸

[@GardenSanity]

My pleasure Gina! Glad you enjoyed the video. I'm so glad to hear your experience with Caryopteris, and you are growing 2 great varieties! I cannot wait to see the flowers this year, even though this is the plant's first season. I've wanted to grow these forever, but had to be patient until I found the right spot. (I'm not great at being patient.) I have my lavender planted next to our front door steps, and we get tons of bees, but they happily don't bother us. However, it does startle some visitors. 😦 I'm looking forward to watching the bees enjoy this plant in bloom! Thanks for sharing, and I hope you had a wonderful holiday! ❤️

[@philip9569]

can you please recommend any mail order nurseries? I'm looking for Delosperma Razzle Dazzle and Arizona Apricot blanket. Thanks for your help. I enjoy and find your posts very informative.

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for your feedback Philip! Yes, I have a video sharing my favorite mail order nurseries: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5SXqJ1je9WWaMksi=Kxxu9Xmr6VxBNAKH 👍 I purchased the Arizona Apricot Blanket Flowers via Great Garden Plants. I see they are currently on sale. Delosperma Razzle Dazzle won’t be available for sale until next year, 2025. (Walters Gardens sent me an “advance” Razzle Dazzle to trial in my garden this year.) 🌺 I hope this helps.

[@willaerley7140]

Great choices! I have a dry sun baked area that has become a garden center graveyard. Lavender, Russian Sage, and phlox have been some of the victims. I think they’re lying a bit about plants liking poor soil. 😉

[@GardenSanity]

Again with the great phrasing: garden center graveyard. 🤣 I find that Lavender needs some water, Phlox needs more water, but Russian Sage is pretty dry…but it died on your watch? Sorry to hear that. ☹️ I think it will be a few years until I can leave these plants alone to be more self-sufficient, where water is concerned. So far, when there’s no rain, I water it every other day. And “poor soil” is definitely subjective. 😄

[@skigirl2112]

For me, cats pajamas didn’t do well the second season for me, the third season the first flush was excellent. However, they always fizzle out after the first flush an do not respond to a cut back. But I love them so much that I keep them in my garden.

[@GardenSanity]

I think I’ll end up keeping them like you’re doing, even if I don’t get good repeat blooming, as I agree with you that their first flush is always beautiful! 💜

[@rosaleendignam4259]

Excellent production . Thank you it’s my first time tuning in ❤

[@GardenSanity]

Why thank you so much Rosalee! I really appreciate it and hope you'll return! ❤️

[@GrandmaSandy]

Much my girlfriend for another great video and thanks for sharing so much information

[@GardenSanity]

You’re very welcome! 😊 Happy you enjoyed it! 🌺

[@samaradixon4376]

My guara has gotten huge. I went today to cut it back so it would bloom again but it had a yellow jackets nest under it and I got eaten up. It may stay half cut back for this year. lol.

[@GardenSanity]

Oh my, that’s awful! 😬🫣😢 I hope you’re OK. And yes, I’d feel the same way: wouldn’t want to touch the Gaura for the rest of the season! 🫤🌺

[@2teaspoonsforme]

As I sit listening to the raging storm on this Sunday afternoon, I decided this would be a good time to watch your latest video. Well, I’m perplexed- so many outstanding choices. As soon as I decided “oh, yes I’m getting the Beyond Midnight Bluebeard, then comes another you showcased- Pugster Amethyst Butterfly Bush, makes me want that one too.” 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️Thank you for showing us all these beauties. I wouldn’t have known some even exist. Hard choices must be made, which ones do I pick? 🙂🌸

[@GardenSanity]

You sound like me Carly, in terms of choosing plants. 😊 It isn’t easy, but I made myself really take my time. I wrote down the height/width, bloom time, color, and tried to create a garden with some variety. Try and consider “when” you need more color in your garden, and that might help with your choices, i.e. Summer versus early Fall. Most of all: enjoy the process! 🌺

[@2teaspoonsforme]

@@GardenSanity good suggestions- when I need more color, early Fall and definitely enjoy the process! Thanks!

[@GardenSanity]

@carly727 My pleasure!

[@maryk1668]

I have so many of your choices here. Love them all as they bloom all summer with some into fall. I really thinned out my plants that don’t have a long bloom time and placed many of them in the back of my garden beds. Thought I had enough coneflower until I saw your choices here 🙄. May get yarrow again as there are varieties now that don’t spread everywhere (like in my lawn). Share this bed again in a few weeks as it will look fantastic as it fills in!

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for sharing Mary! I agree with your thinking: I much prefer long-blooming perennials. The exceptions for me (if they aren’t long blooming) are if they have interesting foliage or are evergreen to give my garden long-term color and interest. 👍 I haven’t grown coneflowers for many years due to the rabbits eating them. But with this garden off limits to them, plus rabbit resistant perennials planted around them, I’m hoping for success. 😀 And yes, I’ll be sharing updates on this bed regularly. 🌺

[@nicholasryan5401]

Great video and information on each drought tolerant plant. We have only watered the flowerbeds twice so far this year in Ireland. We have a lot of fairly drought tolerant plants in our garden like agapanthus, alstroemeria, salvia nemorosa caradonnas, daylilies, lilies, crocosmias, coneflowers, coreopsis, rudbeckia, gaura, gaillardia, cosmos, ice plants, salvia shrubs, phygelius, shasta daisies, campanula, centaurea, acanthus bears breechs and African daisies.

[@GardenSanity]

Wow Nicholas - your flowerbeds sound beautiful with a lot of color and texture! What a great selection of plants! 🌺 I may have said this before, but I envy the climate in Ireland for gardening. Here in New Jersey, we are entering the humid soupy season with heat waves. 🥵

[@nicholasryan5401]

@@GardenSanity We gardeners don't know how lucky we are with our weather here in Ireland. I have to plant two more drought tolerant plants called kniphofia later this evening.

[@GardenSanity]

@nicholasryan5401 Kniphofia is another perennial on my list - there’s so many varieties to choose from!

[@plantmandb]

I also garden in south Jersey and enjoy hearing your experiences..I also love Agastache Rosie posie, so check out Royal raspberrie . It might be as good as Rosie posie for me. Also golden jubilee. they are totally deer and rabbit proof

[@plantmandb]

I also am glad to see you reconsider cats pajamas

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks Don, and hello to a fellow south Jersey gardener! 👋 Thanks for the Royal Raspberrie (because I love Rosie Posie) and Golden Jubilee suggestions. 👍 I really would love to grow more Agastache! 🌺😀

[@GardenSanity]

@plantmandb Me too! I kept those tiny plants, hoping for a new spot for them. I hope they thrive in this garden. 🤞

[@chrismarchetti-olson6632]

Laura the plants are gorgeous!!! May I make a recommendation ( as your enabling friend 😂): Nepeta chartreuse on the loose!!! It is gorgeous and the color is yellowish chartreuse and it would contrast really well with both the blue and green plants plus the purple flowers create such an amazing contrast!! A must try!!! I bought two and boy, so they glow! Thank you for your wonderful video 🌸

[@GardenSanity]

So glad you enjoyed the video Chris! Yes, I’ve heard good things about Chartreuse on the Loose. Thanks for the recommendation - I always love your suggestions, even if they initially end up on my long list first. 🤣🌺

[@chrismarchetti-olson6632]

@@GardenSanity every time you post a video you “ make me” run to the garden center so we’re even 😂😂😂😂

[@GardenSanity]

@chrismarchetti-olson6632 I prefer the word “encourage” instead! 🤣 ❤️

[@chrismarchetti-olson6632]

@@GardenSanity encourage it is then!!! Thank you for the encouragement!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@GardenSanity]

@chrismarchetti-olson6632 My pleasure, most definitely! 😉

[@JoyfulJerseyGardening]

What a great variety of plants! Really looking forward to your updates. Last year was my first year with the Cantaloupe Supreme also. Although the foliage really bulked up, they didn’t have many flowers. This year they have so many blooms!! And they’ve done well in these heavy rains yesterday and today. Still standing!! I decided to try Agastache this year, went with a shorter variety called Poquito Butter Yellow. It has done amazing at the front of my border. Thanks for sharing all of this great info!

[@GardenSanity]

My pleasure Allison! 😀 Glad to hear your Cantaloupe is doing great! I was hesitant to move mine, but hope it will do much better now. And those storms we had were something else - no watering needed this week! 🤣 Poquito Butter Yellow is adorable. I had my eye on that one, so I’m glad to hear it’s great for the front of the border. 👍

[@sammysworld5485]

Hi Laura. So happy you got to create a new garden bed this year. Appreciate explaining the gaura flop. I have several in my garden which I planted last year & this year. The stems flop heavily & couldn’t figure out why. I didn’t realize they were drought plants. Otherwise I would have skipped planting them but I just love their delicate whispy flowers that dance in the breeze which got me hooked. 🪴

[@GardenSanity]

You're right that even when they flop, they are still so pretty dancing in the breeze!

[@kelleyamador8838]

Great info!

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks Kelley - glad you enjoyed it!

[@newt52864]

Love it !!! Will be looking for updates 😀

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks Lorraine! 🌺

[@samaradixon4376]

Very informative video. Loved it.

[@GardenSanity]

Thank you Samara! 😀🌺

[@jeangurnee]

Love the se holly plants 🧡🧡

[@GardenSanity]

Me too Jean! I’m impressed with the Big Blue Sea Holly in bloom in the front yard this year, especially after it didn’t come out of the ground until much later than I thought it would. 😀🌺

[@sue00009]

The flowers are lovely but why did you guys make your garden bed into the shape of a male appendage? Is it like an inside joke between you and your hubby? I know it would make my husband and I giggle every time we saw it. 😅 but, that’s just because we’re both still in middle school mentally lol

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Sue, that’s not what we did, and there’s no inside joke. However, always happy to make others laugh! 😀

[@sue00009]

@@GardenSanity it did make me giggle 🤭 love your channel btw. Watch you all the time 😊

[@GardenSanity]

@sue00009 Thanks Sue, and again I’m glad I provided a giggle! 🫣😂

[@rockyk9316]

It is actually looks like shoe print to me. Like design!

[@sue00009]

@@rockyk9316 really lol? Looks like this to me -> 🍆 😅