If you're looking for more plants to add to your garden that require less water, or if you're thinking about converting your garden to a low water use garden and like to start your research at the library, there are two books you should check out. The first is The Drought-defying California Garden: 230 native plants for a lush, low-water landscape, by Greg Rubin and Lucy Warren (Timber Press, 2016). Written by a landscaping contractor and a gardening journalist who is a former gardening magazine editor, the book begins with a brief discussion of plant communities. The bulk of the book consists of brief descriptions, with photos, of 230 California native annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees. The descriptions also include landscaping uses for the plant. A chapter on planting the California natives is also included. Unfortunately the book does not include Sunset or USDA hardiness zones for the plants listed in the book.
The second book to check out is Pretty Tough Plants: 135 Resilient, Water-Smart Choices for a Beautiful Garden, by Plant Select (Timber Press, 2017). The author, Plant Select “is a leading non-profit cultivator, distributor, and educator of plants designed to thrive in the high plains and intermountain region, and anywhere that water resources are of concern.” The book contains descriptions of the author's top plant picks and contains a photograph of each annual and perennial plants, grasses, shrubs, groundcover and trees included. Each plant description also includes information on the plant size, flowers, and best features. The USDA hardiness zone is also included. The book also includes a nice summary chart making it easy to compare at a glance the plant size, bloom season, flower color, water and sun requirements, USDA zone hardiness and additional information.
These two books and other books on the topic can be borrowed through your local branch of the Solano County Library. To find other books on the topic, simply search for the subject “drought-tolerant plants” in the library's catalog which can be accessed online at www.solanolibrary.com.