I have used plants from these lists in making the Gravel Garden. Many small and low-growing plants for hot, dry conditions can easily be overgrown, so I have designed a new scree-garden for them, a series of slightly raised beds over the same gravel sub-soil as we have in the Gravel Garden. In these beds I am using small plants.
The following two lists contain plants, which in my experience stand long periods of drought and full sun without dying. Most require well-drained soil, they will not survive being waterlogged in winter. Plants destined for very poor sand or gravel soils will be grateful for additional humus, either when planting or as a mulch. An additional mulch of weed-free material overall will help prevent excessive evaporation and suppress weed seedlings. In good garden soil all these plants will flourish like weeds.
All tolerate lime.
Acaena
Achillea
Alyssum
Anemone x fulgens
Anemone pavonina
Anomatheca laxa
Antennaria
Arabis
Armeria
Artemisia - (schmidtiana)
Asperula aristata
Aubrieta
Aurinia
Calamintha
Cerastium
Chamaemelum
Cotula lineariloba
Dianthus
Diascia
Erigeron karvinskianus
Eriophyllum
Erodium
Erodium
Erysimum
Euphorbia cyparissias
Euphorbia myrsinites
Geranium malviflorum
Gypsophila - (dwarf forms)
Haplopappus
Helianthemum
Hypericum olympicum
Iberis
Ipheion
Iris 'Green Spot'
Iris unguicularis
Leptinella squalida
Libertia peregrinans
Limonium
Muscari macrocarpum
Oenothera macrocarpa
Origanum
Osteospermum
Phlox douglasii
Potentilla calabra
Raoulia
Rhodanthemum hosmariense
Sagina
Saponaria
Sedum - (dwarf forms)
Sempervivum
Silene uniflora
Stachys - (grey-leafed forms)
Teucrium x lucidrys
Thymus
Tulbaghia violacea
Urospermum dalechampii
Verbena 'La France'
Zauschneria
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BULBS
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Allium - (dwarf forms)
Arum creticum
Ipheion
Nerine
Ornithogalum
Scilla peruviana
Tulipa sprengeri
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LOWER GRASSES TO USE WITH SOME OF THE PLANTS LISTED ABOVE
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Elymus magellanicus
Festuca
Holcus mollis
Koeleria glauca
Pennisetum
Stipa tenuissima
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MEDIUM TO LARGE PLANTS FOR HOT, DRY CONDITIONS
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Acanthus
Agapanthus
Alstroemeria ligtu hybrids
Anaphalis margaritacea
Anthemis 'Tetworth'
Anthericum
Artemisia
Asphodeline
Asphodelus
Ballota
Bupleurum falcatum
Centaurea
Centranthus
Cichorium
Cistus
Commelina
Convolvulus cneorum
Crambe
Crinum
Cynara
Dictamnus
Echinops
Eryngium
Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii
Euphorbia corallioides
Euphorbia polychroma
Ferula
Foeniculum
Gaura
Glaucium
Grindelia
Gypsophila paniculata 'Flamingo'
Hermodactylus
Iris-bearded
Lavandula
Libertia grandiflora
Linaria
Linum
Lychnis coronaria
Nectaroscordum siculum subsp. bulgaricum
Nepeta
Onopordum
Parahebe perfoliata
Perovskia
Pholmis
Romneya coulteri
Salvia
Santolina
Sedum
Senecio
Stachys
Verbascum
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BULBS
--
Allium
Gladiolus
Halimiocistus
Nectaroscordum
Nerine
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Grasses to use with some of the plants listed above
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Ampelodesmos mauritanus
Eragrostis curvula
Helictotrichon
Leymus arenarius
Melica altissima
Oryzopsis miliacea
Poa labillardieri
Stipa
