As we all know, watering is a vital part to gardening.  Plants need just the right amount of water to stay healthy.  Too much, or too little can be harmful to the plants.  It is not always easy to stay on top of watering, especially if you live in an area that is experiencing a drought. 

There are many things that you can do to try and keep plants alive during these dry periods.  Using much can help retain moisture in the soil.  Giving extra water to your plants is the ideal thing to do.  This can be done with sprinklers, irrigation systems, or watering by hand.  Even though you can take precautions to make your watering more effective, it doesn't help when you are trying to conserve water.  One of the best things that you can do is to choose  plants that are drought resistant (those that can tolerate periods of drought and still thrive) or plants that don't require as much water.

There are several plants that consume less water, but still bring a great look to your garden.  These plants still will need water and can benefit from mulch.  At the same time, they will help you to cut back on the amount of water that is needed for healthy growth.

There are many bulbs, annuals, biennials, and perennials that are considered drought resistant or less water consuming.  Geraniums, periwinkles, morning glories, yuccas, and purple fountain grasses are a few examples.   There are also several trees and shrubs that fit into the same category.  Butterfly bushes, privets, and ninebarks are a few shrubs.  Trees you might want to consider would include the Kentucky Coffee Tree, the Osage Orange, and the Chestnut Oak.  I have listed a couple of links below that include lists of plants.  One is from Ohio State University and the other is from the University of Vermont.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1643.html              

http://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/pubs/oh73drought.htm