Ready for a truly drought tolerant garden? Plant hardy cactus and succulents. The only requirement for these plants is perfect drainage. Hardy succulents can die of rot in our winter wet. Overcome that challenge by building raised beds and mixing plenty of gravel and sand into the planting hole. The book Cacti and Other Succulents by Keith Grantham and Paul Klaassen (Timber press, $34.95) reports the following plants are good candidates for growing outside in the Pacific Northwest:
- Cacti
- Echinocereus triglochidiatus (hedgehog cactus)
- Opuntia humifusa (prickly pear cactus)
- Coryphantha vivipara (pincushion cactus)
- Succulents
- Delosperma cooperi (ice plant)
- Calyptridium umbellatum (pussypaws)
- Yucca
- Agave paryi
- Lewisia cotyledon
- Sedum
- Sempervivum.