SMITHFIELD, N.C. -- Newly-passed water restrictions are forcing some avid gardeners to think outside the planter box.

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Related Link: N.C. Cooperative Extension

 

The Raleigh City Council Tuesday passed the Stage 2 Restrictions, stopping on Feb. 15 any hand watering of outdoor grasses, flowers and plants.

 

But many Johnston County garden enthusiasts said there are ways to grow and maintain a lush, colorful garden without water.

 

Many nurseries now are offering plant varieties like Yucca, Pansies, and Forsythia that require little or no water, according to Cindy Adams with Dewayne's Home and Garden Showplace in Selma. Also, gardeners can take steps to prepare their soil so it will collect and hold enough rain water to keep greenery healthy.

 

"That's what we're trying to get people to understand, the rain barrels are here, but there's plant material that we are bringing in that you don't have to worry about watering," Adams said. "What little bit of rain we're getting is going to suffice for the things we are promoting right now."

 

Adams said she's seen first hand the negative impact the drought has had on the gardening industry.

 

"It's definitely been negative," she said. "But people are exciting about the spring and we can help them find ways to irrigate."

 

To find plants native to North Carolina that can survive without water, visit the North Carolina Cooperative Extension's Web site by clicking on the link above.