• The Drought Tolerant Garden Collection at the Old Dairy Nursery
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The Drought Tolerant Garden

$89.99
$89.99
Shipping calculated at checkout.

ships spring 2025

PLEASE KNOW: Plants shipped in early spring are likely to arrive dormant.

Our Drought Tolerant Garden is made up of perennials that are ideal for a low-water garden. They may be Mediterranean plants with small silvery or fuzzy foliage which reflects the hot sun; succulents with water-storing leaves; or prairie plants with deep taproots.

For our online customers, please know that these plants were selected for low-water gardens on the East Coast, they are not desert or xeric plants!

Plants are suitable for zones 5-9. Plant in full sun in a well-drained location.

Your order will include: 11 carefully selected perennials (3 of the same variety to provide immediate impact through repetition + 8 single varieties), detailed PDF plans, and planting instructions. One collection will cover a 15-20 square foot area. Order multiple collections to cover larger areas.

We reserve the right to replace plants with suitable, similar plants if the exact varieties listed are not available at the time of shipping. Please make a note at check out if this is not acceptable.

The majority of plants will ship in 4" pots. We may occasionally ship larger plants, depending on availability. 4" pots are the size we plant in our own gardens. While they provide less instant impact, we find that smaller plants integrate more quickly with the soil once planted and quickly outpace larger plants, which take a longer time to establish. 

The Drought Tolerant Garden Collection at the Old Dairy Nursery

Plants in this collection include

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Preorders

You may place your order anytime to reserve plants for spring 2025 shipment. If you place multiple orders, we will combine plants into one box (or as many as needed) and any extra shipping charges will be refunded when we ship.

We will begin shipping plants as soon as plants begin to emerge from dormancy in spring. Woodies will likely begin shipping in April. Perennials will likely begin shipping in May. If ordering multiple varieties, we will hold until all plants are ready to ship together. If you would like to receive plants sooner please reach out.

We will check in with you a week before shipping to make sure you receive your plants at a time that is convenient for you.

Shipping

Live plants ship in spring and fall only. Plants may ship dormant, depending on variety and season. Shipping costs are most reasonable when bundling like size plants.

  • 4-inch: 1-6 plants ship for $15.00 / 7-13 plants ship for $18.00 / 14-30 plants ship for $40.00
  • 1-gal: 1-2 plants ship for $18.00 / 3-4 plants ship for $25.00 / 5-6 plants ship for $40.00
  • trees & shrubs: $27.00-$40.00 each, height dependent

We regret that we cannot ship internationally or to the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, or WA.

Read more about our shipping policies here.

Nursery Pick-up

Plants can be collected from the nursery Monday through Sunday from 10am-4pm in Spring, Summer, and Fall. We prefer 24 hour notice to get your order together and will email you when ready for collection.

If you place a SPRING 2025 PREORDER, we will contact you in spring when your plants are ready for collection. Woodies will likely become available for collection in April. Perennials will likely become available in May. If ordering multiple varieties, we will hold until all plants are ready to be collected together.

Plant Sizes

We most commonly use the following pot sizes for perennials:

  • 4-inch pot: 3.5" H x 3.5" W x 3.5" D
  • 2-quart pot: 6" H x 5.25" W x 5.25" D
  • 1-gallon pot: 6.87" H x 8" Dia (this is a true one gallon pot, not the smaller 'trade' one gallon pot used by many nurseries)

Check out our illustrated pot size guide here.

Representative trees & shrubs are photographed in their pots and posted on each plant page.

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of what we do at The Old Dairy. We grow all of our plants outdoors without the use of chemicals, fertilizers, carbon fuels, or peat.

Many of our perennials are grown in the ground and dug upon order (this is especially true for larger sizes). This practice allows us to grow stronger, healthier plants using native soil, and ultimately reduces our impact on the environment.

Our open-pollinated seeds are collected from plants in our mother beds, which have never been treated with chemicals or sprays of any kind.

Read all about our sustainable practices here.