Plants, Trees and Shrubs Not Watered Will Die!!
   We live in a semi-arid part of the country. From June to September there is usually very little rain. This means that annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs require mulching and supplemental watering . This is especially true of new plantings, however all plants benefit from extra water this time of the year.
   When deciding on how many and what kind of plants for your landscape it's a good idea to stop for a minute and think about what kind of water system is available in your area. Do you haveto carry water, are you on city water, three mile water or do you have a well.?
   If you are carrying water or have a well that gets low in dry summers, be conservative when purchasing plants-don't plant very many at first and be sureto plant them near your water supply. Ah plants need initial watering when they are planted and at least the equivalent of one inch of rain a week for at least the first two years. When you are carrying buckets of water this becomes a royalpain! If you plant too many they just wont get watered.
   To conserve moisture, spread black plastic between the plants and cover the plastic with bark mulch or sawdust.
   Choose drought tolerant shrubs like mugo pines, potentilla, junipers, ninebark, Spirea 'Grefsheim', Rosa rugosa, Harrison's yellow rose, sumac, nanking cherry, Lewis mockorange, Amold Red Honeysuckle, buckthorn, Dwarfbush-honeysuckle, Oregon Grape holly, mountain mahogany, and caragana. Perennials that perform well in dry conditions inlude ornamental grasses, lavender, yucca filamentosa, Russian sage, sage, many varieties ofthyme, winter savory, balloon flower, Hen and Chicks, sedum kamshaticum, Sedum 'Autumn Joy', Salvia superba varieties, pincushion flower, gayfeather, German iris, Siberian iris, baby's breath, purple cone flower, Coreopsis verticillata, Snow in Summer, False Indigo and Achillea 'Cerise Queen'. Even these plants require supplemental water the first several years after planting. Plants that are not watered will die.
   Folks that have city water, a good well or three mile water will have an easier time growing plants such as fruit trees, small fruits, roses, hosta etc. (plants with high water requirements) .
   Try to group plants with similar water requirements and remember, life in Boundary County in the summer is much easier if most of your plants are drought resistant.
  Never plant trees or shrubs on newly purchased property when you won't be living there for several years. The plants left after the gophers and deer get through with them will dry up and die in July and August.
  Happy gardening.
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