22 Colorful Drought Tolerant Perennials for Pollinators

This video features 22 colorful drought tolerant perennials that pollinators love - each just planted in a new drought tolerant bed. I’ll show you what each one will look like once mature, including their beautiful flowers up close; plus I'll share the complete growing requirements, deer/rabbit resistance, and whether they are native perennials. In addition, there are 5 shrubs newly planted to complete this bed. Use the Chapter headings below to jump to a specific plant. (Zone 7, southern New Jersey)
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro and 4 reasons I chose these perennials and shrubs
1:43 - Creating the bed with pavers
3:23 - Rabbit resistance
3:51 - Overview of the plants
4:12 - El Niño Desert Orchid
5:27 - Fuzzy Wuzzy Lamb’s Ear
6:13 - Beyond Midnight Bluebeard
6:50 - Delosperma Razzle Dazzle (Hardy Ice Plant)
7:42 - Sunsparkler Wildfire Stonecrop
8:35 - Sedum Autumn Fire
9:17 - Arizona Apricot Blanket Flower
9:57 - Limonium Dazzle Rocks (Sea Lavender)
10:48 - Scabiosa Butterfly Blue
11:29 - Blue Star Juniper
12:42 - Millenium Allium
13:26 - Penstemon Rose Rhinestones
14:53 - Pugster Amethyst Butterfly Bush
15:45 - Kismet Raspberry Coneflowers
16:29 - Cat’s Pajamas Catmint
17:48 - Artemisia Silver Lining
19:02 - Lavender Phenomenal
20:10 - Agastache Morello
21:30 - Achillia Firefly Red Pop
22:18 - Echinacea Double Coded Butter Pecan
23:15 - Coreopsis Golden Needles
23:58 - Supreme Cantaloupe Coneflower
24:56 - Big Blue Sea Holly
25:52 - Echinops Blue Glow
26:54 - Gaura Stratosphere Pink Picotee
27:57 - Miss Willmott’s Ghost
30:03 - How to plant perennials the easy way!
❤️ Please hit the like button - and subscribe - if this video was helpful to you! ❤️
📸 PHOTO CREDITS 📸
Photos courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc. Thank you!
Photos courtesy of Proven Winners Thank you!
Photos courtesy of Spring Meadow Nursery Thank you!
Photos courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc. Thank you!
Ellen Willmott photo - in public domain
Miss Willmott’s Ghost in the Van Dusen Botanical Garden - Vancouver, BC, Canada - photo in public domain
Miss Willmott’s Ghost shared via Creative Commons: photos by Tamdereli, Dereli -Giresun, Turkey
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
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🌺 MT. CUBA CENTER CONEFLOWER TRIALS 🌺
This report covers Echinacea (Coneflowers) for the Mid-Atlantic Region, detailing their trial results from 2018 - 2020.
mtcubacenter.org/trials/echin...
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#droughttolerant #perennials #gardensanity

[@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. 😀

[@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. 🌺

[@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. 👍

[@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. 😀🌺

[@newt52864]

Love it !!! Will be looking for updates 😀

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks Lorraine! 🌺

[@samaradixon4376]

Very informative video. Loved it.

[@GardenSanity]

Thank you Samara! 😀🌺

[@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!

[@kelleyamador8838]

Great info!

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks Kelley - glad you enjoyed it!

[@carly727]

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! 🌺

[@carly727]

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

[@GardenSanity]

@carly727 My pleasure!

[@GrandmaSandy]

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

[@GardenSanity]

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

[@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!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@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. 😄

[@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. 🤞

[@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.

[@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! 🫤🌺

[@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?

[@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 😊