Many drought-tolerant plants are by their nature not particularly colorful but this does not mean that it is impossible to create a colorful border using these plants. The eight examples described in the article below demonstrate that with careful choice of flowers and shrubs remarkable results can be achieved. This article is by Lauren Dunec Hoang and come from the Houzz website.

Many drought-tolerant gardens are far from barren gravel patches studded with cactuses. They can be lush, colorful landscapes that support pollinators and have a lighter environmental footprint. Take a look at these eight gardens that prove low-water borders can be just as vibrant and luxuriant as higher-water beds.

Gardens by Gabriel, Inc.

Drought-tolerant protea, aloe and echeveria in a garden in Morro Bay, California

Bosler Earth Design

1. Succulent tapestry in Los Angeles.

Talk about curb appeal. The layers of blue, gold, bronze and deep purple foliage create a tapestry of color in this Los Angeles front yard. Plants include chartreuse spurge (Euphorbia characias, zones 8 to 11), gold leucadendron, silvery blue fescue (Festuca glauca, zones 4 to 8), spiky bronze New Zealand flax (Phormium sp., zones 8 to 11), dark maroon smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria, zones 5 to 10), and purple ?Zwartkop? aeonium (Aeonium arboreum var. atropurpureum ?Zwartkop?, zones 9 to 10). A carpet of blue chalk sticks (Senecio mandraliscae, zones 9 to 12) covers the ground and acts as a unifying sea of blue in the design. All plants pictured thrive in full sun and with low water.

Big Picture Landscapes

2. Rock garden in Seattle. In this sidewalk and front yard planting outside a Seattle home, a mix of mounding shrubs, perennials and succulents creates an interesting combination of colors and textures. The finely textured foliage of ?Blue Forest? juniper (Juniperus sabina ?Blue Forest?, zones 4 to 7) and golden heather (Calluna vulgaris ?Firefly?, zones 4 to 10) contrasts well with the plump, succulent leaves of ?Autumn Joy? stonecrop (Sedum ?Autumn Joy?, zones 3 to 10) planted nearby. Other plants include ?Quicksilver? hebe (Hebe pimeleoides ?Quicksilver?, zones 8 to 10), purple catmint (Nepeta sp., zones 3 to 8) and manzanita (Arctostaphylos densiflora ?Howard McMinn?, zones 6 to 10). All plants thrive in full sun and would need little supplemental irrigation in the Seattle climate.