We need high and dry gardens now more than ever

High and dry gardens are needed now more than ever. What are they? A high and dry garden demonstrates which plants can survive on natural precipitation. There is a high and dry garden located in the northeast corner of the Washington County Fairgrounds in Akron. We have used it for trialing plants to see how well they fare in drought.

What defines a drought? According to Oxford dictionary, a drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. In the Golden Plains, a prolonged period could mean 10 to 14 days. According to Wraith, Blake and Blake researchers from Montana State University, once plants are in a drought of 10-14 days, it takes 2-3 days after subsequent rewetting periods for the plants to uptake any water.

In a high and dry garden, there are plants that can weather the drought. For some of the grasses that can weather a drought, here are three in the high and dry garden in Akron:

1. Buffalo grass.

2. Slender wheatgrass.

3. Blue grama.

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