Dry Garden Starter Kit - The Mediterranean

This starter kit brings together seven classic Mediterranean plants, chosen for their ability to thrive on full sun, poor soil, and minimal watering (once established).

Silver foliage, aromatic leaves, and pollinator-friendly flowers combine to create a garden that looks good and asks for almost nothing in return. Perfect for a gravel garden, a sunny border, or anyone ready to stop fighting their climate and start working with it.

Includes: Rosemary, Santolina, Cistus, Artemisia, Agastache 'Pink Pop', Nepeta faassenii, and Helichrysum italicum.

Salvia rosmarinus (Rosemary)

The backbone of any Mediterranean planting. This upright, woody evergreen shrub offers narrow, needle-like aromatic foliage and pale blue flowers loved by bees from late winter through spring. Rosemary thrives in poor, well-drained soil and full sun — the drier and hotter, the happier. A kitchen staple as much as a garden one; harvest a sprig any time of year.

Santolina chamaecyparissus (Cotton Lavender)

A compact, mounding shrub with finely textured, silvery-grey foliage that stays attractive year-round. In summer, cheerful button-like yellow flowers rise just above the foliage. Santolina is exceptionally drought tolerant once rooted in, and its silver tones make it a brilliant foil for greener neighbors in a dry border or low hedge.

Cistus creticus (Pink Rock Rose)

A tough, sun-loving evergreen shrub native to rocky Mediterranean hillsides, with crinkled, papery pink flowers that open through late spring and summer. Cistus is remarkably heat and drought tolerant, asking for nothing more than sharp drainage and full sun. Each bloom lasts only a day, but the display is renewed daily for weeks.

Artemisia alba subsp. camphorata (Camphor Southernwood)

A low, spreading, aromatic sub-shrub with finely cut, silvery-green foliage that releases a sharp, camphor-like scent when brushed. Grown primarily for its foliage texture and color, it forms a soft, feathery mound that pairs beautifully with brighter flowering companions. Thrives in lean, dry soil and is a favorite for its resilience in hot, exposed spots.

Agastache 'Pink Pop' (Hummingbird Mint)

A compact, free-flowering perennial bearing tall spikes of vivid pink, tubular flowers from summer into autumn. Aromatic, minty foliage and nectar-rich blooms make it a magnet for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Once established, 'Pink Pop' handles heat and dry spells with ease, making it a long-blooming, low-fuss addition to any sunny bed.

Nepeta faassenii (Catmint)

A billowing, easy-care perennial with soft grey-green foliage and a long season of lavender-blue flower spikes from late spring well into autumn. Extremely drought tolerant and unfussy about soil, catmint is a classic edging or filler plant that softens borders and pathways while shrugging off dry summers. Bees adore it; deer and rabbits tend to leave it alone.

Helichrysum orientale (Golden Everlasting)

A low, mounding evergreen sub-shrub prized for its dense, felted silver-white foliage — even softer and more compact than its cousin H. italicum. In summer it produces clusters of bright golden-yellow, papery "everlasting" flowers that hold their color long after cutting, making them a favorite for dried arrangements. Extremely drought and heat tolerant once established, it thrives in poor, sharply drained soil and full sun, forming a tidy, textural mound that pairs beautifully with lavender, santolina, and other dry-garden classics.