Water-Wise Garden Plans for the Rockies and High Plains
Ninebark, prairie sage, snowberry and other native plants help make the best use of rainfall in this earth-friendly garden design.
Landscape plan Leah Gardner/Illustrations by Simutis Illustrations
Grow the plants and flowers that suit your region best with these suggestions for water-wise growing.
Plant List
A. Mountain ninebark (Physocarpus monogynus)
Alternative: Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) or other medium shrub 3 to 5 feet tall
B. Narrowleaf, plains yucca (Yucca glauca)
Alternative: Other evergreen, drought-tolerant accent shrub
C. Prairie sage (Artemesia ludoviciana)
Alternative: Little bluestem (Schyzachyrium scoparium), mountain muhly (Muhlenbergia montana) or other ornamental grass or grass-like plant, one to 2 feet tall
D. Spotted gayfeather (Liatris punctata)
Alternative: Other flowering herbaceous plant, 2 to 3 feet tall
E. Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata)
Alternative: Prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) or other flowering herbaceous plant, one to 2 feet tall
F. Field pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta)
Alternative: Evening primrose (Oenothera caespitosa) or fringed sage (Artemisia frigida) or other flowering groundcover, 6 to 12 inches tall
G. Wild iris (Iris missouriensis)
Alternative: Other tough, small groundcover, 2 to 4 inches tall
H. Wild verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida)
Alternative: Field pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta) or other moisture-tolerant herbaceous plant
Landscape plan Leah Gardner/Illustrations by Simutis Illustrations
Key
1. Stepping stone
2. Porch/Landing
3. Rain chain
4. Dry-stream bed
5. Rock/small boulder
6. Rock-lined basin or depression
