After some welcome rain in May and June, we can expect sunny, drier weather during the summer months in our region. There are several ways for gardeners to adapt to the drought season--using less water, while improving wildlife habitat and overall garden health. Here are a few ideas: 

A dense mix of plantings (perennials, herbs, shrubs, mosses, and trees) can help shade roots and preserve soil moisture. Drought-tolerant varieties can withstand periods of hot, dry weather, and need little supplemental irrigation once established. It’s a good idea to group plants with similar water needs in your landscape to reduce watering. Woody plants can store water in both their roots and trunks; thick, waxy, or hairy leaves also help minimize water loss. Plants with small, fine, or deeply divided foliage are considered drought-tolerant, too, and conifers have both small leaves and waxy cuticles, limiting water loss due to leaf transpiration. 

Water-wise plant choices for our area include ground covers Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick), Fragaria chiloensis (coastal strawberry), and Fragaria vesca (woodland strawberry); evergreen shrubs Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon grape) and Lavandula intermedia (English lavender); deciduous shrubs Ribes sanguineum (red flowering currant), Sambucus racemosa (red elderberry), and Helianthemum (rock rose); and trees Acer glabrum (Rocky Mountain maple) and Abies koreana (Korean fir). To find more plant ideas, WSU offers a free publication, Drought Tolerant Landscaping in Western Washington (EM087E) at http://gardening.wsu.edu/trees-and-shrubs/.

Layering mulch on top of your soil is a great way to improve soil tilth and preserve moisture. Wood chips, containing bark, wood, and leaves, have more chemical and physical diversity than many other types of mulch. Rich in lignin, suberin, tannins, and other natural compounds, arborist chips can supply nutrients, slowly release moisture into the soil, help moderate soil temperature, and control weeds.

A flowering lawn or “eco-lawn” is a mix of grasses, herbs, and wildflowers that can be treated much like a regular lawn, but requires less water, fertilizer, and mowing. 

You can overseed a traditional lawn, or start fresh by removing an existing lawn and planting a desired mix of grasses and perennials. Possible plant choices are Trifolium repens (Dutch white clover), Thymus spp. (creeping thyme), or Prunella vulgaris (self-heal). Eco-lawn seed mixes developed for the Pacific Northwest are also available commercially. 

Walkable ground covers are attractive and durable, and require less water. Examples are Herniaria glabra (green carpet creeper), Fragaria chiloensis, Carex praegracilis (short green sedge), Thymus praecox (woolly thyme), and Pratia pedunculata (little star creeper). 

For an existing lawn, water only as needed, not necessarily on an automatic schedule. Slow-release organic fertilizers can help reduce the use of “weed and feed” products (which can introduce unnecessary amounts of fertilizers and herbicides into your soil). Herbicides can be used sparingly, and only where needed. 

Home rain gardens are worth considering if your goals include creating a beautiful garden, providing habitat to beneficial insects and birds, and improving the health of our waterways. 

Rain gardens collect, absorb, and filter stormwater run-off from rooftops, driveways, patios, and other impervious surfaces. Clean water soaks into the ground and eventually reaches our streams, marshes, and marine waters. 

Rain gardens are generally drought tolerant once established, and they can be sized and shaped to fit your yard (though not every landscape is suitable). 

WSU Extension offers a free, downloadable Rain Garden Handbook for Western Washington https://extension.wsu.edu/raingarden/. Questions can be addressed to our local expert, Bob Simmons, WSU Extension Water Resources Specialist, at simmons@wsu.edu. 

Volunteer Master Gardeners are available to answer questions from the community about water-wise gardening or any other aspect of the home garden. Visit our online Plant Clinic at https://extension.wsu.edu/jefferson/gardening-2/plant-clinic/. 

(Barbara Faurot is a Jefferson County Master Gardener, working with other volunteers who serve as community educators in gardening and environmental stewardship.)