At Durham Garden Center, we always have a huge selection of heat and drought-tolerant trees, shrubs and perennials. A good majority of these, once established, can survive and thrive through our long, hot southern summers. Water-wise landscaping and proper mulching also means less time gardening and more time for your family's enjoyment of your beautiful yard. Xeriscaping does not just mean cactus! Think beautiful butterfly bushes, camellia, abelia, nandina, lantana, indian hawthorne, spirea, perennial herbs such as lavender and rosemary, evergreens such as juniper, aucuba, mahonia and holly, eleagnus, ornamental grasses. Many groundcovers such as ajuga, liriope (monkey-grass) and vinca are very drought-tolerant as well. The list goes on and on! Also remember, many of these plants are also deer-resistant! An added bonus! Container gardens in pretty pots can also be changed out seasonally for a fresh, new look on your patios and are fun and easy! Below are great links from the NC Cooperative Extension Service for more extensive lists of native plants, easy-maintenance landscape plants, deer-resistant plants, and urban gardening!

Plants do not waste water! Your outdoor and indoor living spaces need plants. Plants create oxygen, clean and cool the air, add organic matter back to the earth and keep the soil from eroding. Many, many perennials, shrubs and trees will dig their roots deep into the earth and need so much less water when established than you think! Take a look around the roadsides, or at some of the older neighborhoods and old homesites in the country and notice the mature plantings. These tough specimens have been taking care of themselves for years! Plants do not have to be considered "native" to thrive in your yard. Most "non-native" plants are not invasive. Re-think your lawncare practices. Cool-season lawns such as fescue go dormant in summer and need very little water  and no fertilizer during this time. These lawns brown during summer but are green in spring and fall. Forcing a cool-season grass lawn to be green in the hot summer by continuous watering and fertilizing only stresses the plants. Fertilize, lime and overseed in spring and fall when grass is actively growing for tough, carefree lawns. Shrub and perennial borders are very low maintenance. Drought-tolerant landscaping does not just need to be considered during drier years. Think of this as low-maintenance and carefree EVERY year! Think Sustainable Landscaping!

We are members of the Durham Progressive Garden Business Alliance. DPGBA is a group of local landscape professionals, gardeners, nursery owners and landscape material suppliers.  We are committed to sound, sustainable gardening techniques which employ conscientious choices for garden and plant installations.  We believe in selecting the right plant for the right place.

NC State University Native Plant Lists

NC Cooperative Extension Drought-Tolerant Lists

NC Cooperative Extension DEER Resistant Lists

NC State University Urban Horticulture