These irises have survived for several years, totally unattended in this lightly wooded area. I suspect that they were thrown out by a nearby nursery

Almost everything survived here. I don't think anything perennial died in either year, except for the strawberries. I lost some annuals both years, but that was after I stopped watering them in July or August. The only thing we lost that really mattered was the strawberries and I didn't expect them to survive once our highs were over 110 degrees since they were in full sun. They were in a large container and I thought I was watering it enough in the summer of 2011, but we were out at wildfires day and night in much of June through August and it may be I missed watering them a few times and don't even remember it.

Last year, we planted two small bare-root peach trees we bought at CostCo and I was worried they wouldn't survive, but they did. The "Jane" magnolia started looking really bad in August or September last year and I thought it had died, though there was a chance it only was going dormant. (I thought I had watered it plenty!) Then, it formed one bloom this spring that opened up on the morning before we went down to 19 degrees last week. Of course, that flower froze and I thought maybe that was the last dying gasp from that plant because normally it is covered in flowers by now. This week I noticed new flower buds forming and leaf buds too, so surprisingly it appears it has survived.

However, in our approximate 10 acres of woodland, lots of huge and well-established trees of all types have died. Of course, they were not irrigated.

I actually am pretty impressed by all the plants that did survive the drought. Daffodils that I never, ever, ever irrigate are 15 years old now and they survived the droughts of 2011 and 2012 and bloomed just fine this year.

I had a rosemary plant in a pot and I forgot about it when I stopped watering the garden. It was in a shady spot in the SW corner of the garden where you'd have to walk back up into that corner to see it, and I never stepped foot in there for weeks after I stopped watering. It survived for 2 or 3 months in a pot with no irrigation and with precious little rainfall. I was completely amazed by that. It is in the greenhouse now where it has spend a very relaxing winter. That's probably my best drought survival story. Well, there was the Piricicaba broccoli that survived in 2011 in that same semi-shady SW corner of the big garden with no irrigation after July. When I "found" the plants in the fall, they were alive and starting to produce heads. That was a surprise too.

Most of the smaller understory plants in the woods did brown out and go dormant both summers, but they didn't die.

I bought a clearance Clematis last summer and it immediately "died". Well, it's not dead! Yay!

I think everything survived in my yard...but my water bills rival my a/c bills!!

I love, love, love peonies. Just planted five or six more yesterday. Woo hoo!!

Lisa

Well....my third peony is up! I'm so happy :)
Sadly, my neglected rosemary really truly died, but I saved it's dried self and I've been using it all winter long.

Sharon

I have four large rosemary bushes. Nothing seems to phase them, they just keep growing --- about 6 miles north of lake Texoma

My wild black cherry (Prunus serotina) that I thought for sure was a goner, has leafed out and.........drum roll.........is getting blooms for the first time ever! The birds will love having cherries this year!

Susan

In my immediately previous post, should have been "its" instead of "it's"...!!
Anyway...my rosemary was in a pot - when I figure out my actual beds in the back I will invest in a more hardy one to plant in the ground - love my rosemary!

Susan...don't let the birds have ALL the fun; you get a few cherries too!!

Sharon