With our hotter, drier summers in the Pacific NW, more and more gardeners are searching out drought-tolerant plants, or are embracing xeriscaping. Keep in mind that all new plants need time to set down their roots, so regular watering will be required until the plants are fully established. Depending upon the plant, the soil, and the weather, that could take up to a year.

Sedums are a terrific choice for dry landscapes, but many are perennials that die down in a hard freeze and return in the spring. Golden Stonecrop is an exception, hardy down to -20 degrees F, and evergreen, growing easily in poor soils, is deer- and rabbit-resistant, and once established, drought-tolerant. This tiny leafed sedum grows no taller than three inches, but can spread up to two feet, the bright green foliage making a fresh ground cover, or a nice trailer on retaining walls, in rock gardens, container planters, and hanging baskets.