Add Easy-Care Color with This Small Space, Drought-Resistant Garden Plan

2025-07-24
Add Easy-Care Color with This Small Space, Drought-Resistant Garden Plan

This small space, drought-resistant garden plan includes a small, but mighty, list of tough plants that can withstand dry conditions while still looking lush and colorful. Set off a birdbath with daylilies, penstemon, and bright Mexican sunflower to create a dramatic display of blooms and foliage. You can add or eliminate plants from this list based on the size of your space. So, head to the garden center, pick out your birdbath, and start planting this simple but pretty garden plan.

Plants for Creating the Small-Space, Drought-Resistant Garden Plan

Most of these plants will thrive with minimal care, but during the first season of growth, you will want to pay close attention to making sure they are watered thoroughly.

  • 1 Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia): Annual
  • 1 Daylily (Hemerocallis ‘Stella d’Oro’): Zones 3-9
  • 3 Salvia ‘Marcus’: Zones 5-9
  • 3 Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum): Zones 4-9
  • 3 Penstemon ‘Red Riding Hood’: Zones 5-8
  • 1 Birdbath

If you aren't able to find the exact cultivars listed above, substitute with others that have similar colors, shapes, and sizes. And because some plants can become overly aggressive and spread out of control in certain climates, always check which species are considered invasive in your area before planting.

Get the Free Small-Space, Drought-Resistant Garden Plan

The garden plan for this design includes an illustrated version of the planted garden, a detailed layout diagram, a list of the drought tolerant plants for the garden as shown, and complete instructions for installing the garden.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why should you include a birdbath in your garden design?

    Adding a birdbath to your garden will increase the amount of birds that come to visit. Although feeders can also attract birds, some don't eat seeds and will have no reason to visit the feeder. However, they will always need fresh water to drink and bathe in.

  • Are there any cons to adding a birdbath to your garden?

    Unfortunately, birdbaths can attract more than colorful birds. They can also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. These insects will lay their eggs in stagnant water. That's why it's important to regularly clean your birdbath.

  • Where in the garden should you place your birdbath?

    If possible, place your birdbath beneath the shade of a tree to keep the water cool. If it's positioned in direct sunlight, the water might become too hot for birds to use.

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