Plants that Need Much Water

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23269, 11 February 1939, Page 10 (Supplement)

Plants that Need Much Water

It is a good plan when watering the garden to discriminate between plants that require water and those that do not. Pansies, violas, primulas and polyanthus are thirsty subjects. Others that are averse to parched conditions are Michaelmas daisy, phlox, hemerocallis, rtidbcckia, mitnulus, astilbo and spiderwort.

Coreopsis, gaillardia, lavender, catananche, linaria and evening primrose, 011 the other hand, do not need watering, even if rain docs not fall for weeks. Similarly, it is wasted labour to water annuals like nasturtium and marigold, or any of the sun-loving daisies from South Africa, such as ursinea, dimorphotheca and arctotis. Stonecrops, portulaca, ice plant and other plants with succulent foliage can withstand tho severest of dry spells, and aro able to dispense with the aid of the watering can. Plants trained to walls and fences often suffer badly from lack of moisture at the roots. Hollyhocks, mulliens and other plants with largo foliago can benefit only when thero is a torrential downpour. In both these cases copious waterings should be given.