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Plant Life By Valerie Easton

Marriages Of Convenience

The right plant pairings can look great and save water

PICTURE CHARTREUSE mounds of euphorbia billowing around deeply bronzed phormium blades. Or fat, purple allium heads bobbing above a sea of pink-tinged Mexican fleabane. How about heart-shaped, papery leaves of epimedium snuggled against the rough, furry fronds of Wallichs wood fern?

While these pairings may not be as classic as roses and clematis, they are the drought-resistant combos we're coming to rely on for the sake of our planet as well as our water bills.

Such tough, unthirsty plants are well-suited for the harsher realities of 21st-century weather. And, their contemporary cachet allows you to exercise some creativity while you play that old game of pairing plants. You can do it in good conscience, too.

Despite this year's soggy winter, damp spring and full reservoirs, gardeners still need to face up to drought-proofing. It never rains much here between mid-July and late September. Drizzle, mist and cold, yes, but real rain that penetrates down to a plant's roots, no. Remember that sense of intense relief when the rain does set in, usually in late September? On a foggy June day it's difficult to recall how badly we'll long to curl up our hoses and enjoy the sound of rain on the roof.

The good news is that garden habits are easier to change than most others. Unlike struggling with stubborn pounds, we already have the tools in our repertoire to successfully transform our gardens from thirsty to independent. We know how to combine plants for texture, color, shape and bloom time. Drought-tolerant gardens are also created one plant combination at a time, which shrinks the problem down to manageable proportions.

Understanding the ecology and topography of our own gardens, reducing lawn and improving the soil are all important steps in making a garden less thirsty. Go ahead and plant hydrangeas, hostas and other close-to-your-heart, water-gobbling plants together in the shadier, damper parts of your garden. Lay down soaker hoses, mulch well and figure it's worth it. But in the dusty soil beneath conifers, on the sunny slopes and in the well-drained areas of your garden, experiment with combining plants that actually thrive in arid conditions. It behooves us all to remember that as the population of Puget Sound continues to grow like crazy, there will simply be less water available in the future. And what there is will cost more, and the use of it for ornamental gardens will induce more guilt, if not water restrictions.

Nurseries are helping out by labeling individual plants, or whole tables of plants, as drought tolerant. (Caution: Every plant needs supplemental water its first couple of years; none are drought-tolerant right out of the nursery pot.) Just work those skills you already have for pairing plants that have like needs and look good together, choosing from these groups:

• Succulents: Along with cactus, succulents are the botanical camels of the plant world. Their fleshy leaves carry their own supply of water.

• Silver-leafed plants: Rosemary, thyme, senecio, lavender, artemisia, catmint, lamb's ears, Russian sage, Matilija poppy, sages and salvias.

• Spiky plants: Agaves, cordylines, yuccas and phormiums.

• Bulbs: Allium, narcissus and tulips bloom in spring and go dormant during our naturally droughty time.

• Grasses: Blue fescue, carexes, fountain grass (Pennisetum), feather grass (Stipa).

Seattle Public Utilities has a colorful and easy-to-use Web page which serves as ground zero for drought information: www.seattle.gov/util/services/. Here you can find information on upcoming Savvy Gardener classes, sponsored by the Saving Water Partnership. For a list of 240 drought-tolerant plants, go to the plant list at www.savingwater.org, or call The Natural Lawn & Garden Hotline at 206-633-0224 to request a copy.

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer and contributing editor for Horticulture magazine. Her e-mail address is valeaston@comcast.net.