Dry/Sunny gardens
Sunny/Dry
Produced in Association with AFDS
A little time and research in choosing the right plants for your garden can prevent frustration and failure.
For the best results you need three things:
- Quality plants locally grown;
- A well prepared site;
- Weed control to prevent competition and allow establishment.
The three main factors controlling growth of a plant and consequently its selection are:
- Soil;
- Situation;
- Hardiness.
Soil
Soils come in many variations but if you have one which is either light or heavy, acid or alkaline (limy) extra care needs to be taken over the choice of plants. A heavy soil will feel really sticky and damp, a sandy soil will feel gritty and will drain quickly. You can easily find out whether your soil is acid or alkaline using a test kit from your local garden centre or by observing hydrangeas in your area – they will be pink if the soil is limy, blue if it is acid and purple in neutral soil.
Situation
Whether exposed, sheltered, shady or sunny a plant in the wrong situation will not thrive. It may either not grow or grow long lank stems, fail to flower, fade or lose variegations.
Hardiness
We have a mild climate in Ireland as a result of the Gulf Stream but inland areas can suffer from frost and the most tender plants are not recommended inland especially those susceptible to spring frosts such as Pieris.
Not only do plants grow best when they are given the right conditions but they also look their best.
Most plants are now sold with informative labels which you should always read as they are a good source of information.
Plants that enjoy full sun and will tolerate dry conditions include many with grey or hairy leaves.
The following plants are all grown locally and recommended by growers as suitable for sunny or dry gardens
Shrubs
- Aucuba japonica variegata
- Ceanothus ‘Southmead’
- Ceanothus ‘Bluemound’
- Cistus ‘Sunset’
- Eucalyptus gunni
- Hypericum ‘Hidcote’
- Osteospermum ‘Lady Leitrim’
- Thymus ‘Anderson’s Gold’
- Thymus ‘Silver Posie’
- Cytisus ‘Killiney Red’
- Cytisus praecox
- Cytisus praecox ‘Allgold’
- Cytisus beanii
- Cytisus kewensis
- Elaeagnus ebingei
- Elaeagnus pungens aurea
- Elaeagnus pungens maculata
- Euonymus fortuneii vars.
- Fuschia Riccartonii
- Fuchsia Aurea
- Fuchsia ‘Tom Thumb’
- Fuchsia ‘Lady Thumb’
- Genista ‘Lemon Spreader’
- Genista ‘Lydia’
- Hebe ‘Green Globe’
- Hebe pagei
- Hebe ‘Red Edge’
- Phormium tenax purpureum
- Santolina chamaecyparissus
- Senecio ‘Sunshine’
- Spiraea x arguta
- Spiraea ‘Goldflame’
- Spiraea ‘Gold Mound’
- Spiraea ‘Little Princess’
- Spiraea ‘Shirobana’
Trees - for dry droughty conditions Sorbus will all do well:
- Sorbus aucuparia vilmornii
- Sorbus aucuparia ‘Joseph Rock’
- Sorbus aucuparia ‘Sheerwater’
- Sorbus aucuparia discolor
Herbaceous
- Achillea ‘Cerise Queen’
- Achillea ‘Summer Pastels’
- Achemilla mollis
- Achemilla alpina
- Aquilegia alpina
- Aquilegia ‘Mini Star’
- Aquilegia ‘Mrs Scott Elliot’
- Bergenia cordifolia
- Carnation ‘Border mixed’
- Delphinium ‘Magic Fountains’
- Dianthus ‘Pikes Pink’
- Dianthus ‘Hidcote Red’
- Erodium manescavi
- Erigeron glaucus
- Erigeron ‘Azure Fairy’
- Erigeron ‘Pink Jewel’
- Euphorbia characias wulfenii
- Euphorbia x ‘Martinii’
- Euphorbia myrsinites
- Geum chil. ‘Mrs Bradshaw’
- Geum ‘ Lady Stratheden’
- Helianthemum
- Helenium ‘Red and Gold’
- Hemerocallis ‘ Luxury Lace’
- Hemerocallis ‘Sammy Russell’
- Hemerocallis ‘Stella D’Oro’
- Iris chrysographes
- Iris foetidissima
- Iris germ. ‘Amber Queen’
- Iris germ. ‘Chantilly’
- Iris germ. ‘Deep Black’
- Iris germ. ‘Depth of Field’
- Iris germ. ‘Party Dress’
- Iris germ. ‘Tinkerbell’
- Iris setosa ‘Alba’
- Jasione ‘ Blue Light’
- Lilium ‘Stargazer’
- Lilium ‘Elfin Sun’
- Lilium ‘Orange Pixie’
- Lilium ‘Red carpet’
- Nepeta ‘ Grandiflora’
- Papaver ‘Garden Gnome’
- Papaver orientale ‘Allegro’
- Papaver orientale ‘Pizzicato’
- Potentilla ‘Monarchs Velvet’
- Potentilla nep ‘Mrs Willmott’
- Potentilla recta ‘Sulphurea’
- Potentilla rupestris
- Pulsatilla vulgaris ‘Violet’
- Salvia off. ‘Icterinia’
- Salvia off. ‘Purpurea’
- Sidalcea ‘ Party Girl’
- Solidago ‘ Golden Baby’
- Verbascum chaixii ‘Alba’
- Vinca major ‘Variegata’
Climbers
- Solanum crispin ‘Glasnevin’
Alpines
- Dianthus ‘Little Jock’
- Campanula ‘Pusilla’
- Heliantheum in variety
- Sedum obtusatum
- Linaria ‘Blue Dreams’
Grasses
- Festuca glauca
- Festuca glauca ‘Gold Toldee’
- Deschampsia Tatra ‘Gold’
- Stipa pinneata
This small selection of plants are all grown in Northern Ireland by professional growers and are available from good garden centres.
Local growers growing for you
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