First, the trees:
We left the native mesquites and cedar junipers. I lined the driveway with Natchez crape myrtles which are beautiful here. Our chitalpa trees have pale pink and white flowers all summer long, and have grown quickly. Eastern redbud and forest pansy redbud are doing well. Yaupon holly is growing slowly. Dwarf sabal palm is making it but I lose several leaf fans every year. Rattlesnake tree is really a large shrub that is also called scarlet wisteria because of its similar leaves and red-orange flowers. Purple smoke tree, another shrub-lie tree, is growing quickly from a small "stick" bought online. Italian stone pine is the one evergreen reputed to grow well in our soil and climate. Find them at Christmas as tabletop decorations and plant it for future generations, as it grows quite slowly but will become an impressive tree. I have corkscrew willow that have grown fast, but they get runoff from my neighbor’s drainage problem.

Next, the shrubs and large perennials:
Chinese photinia, spirea, yaupon holly, variegated privet (careful; this gets huge), myospernum, wax myrtle, Texas bird of paradise, winter honeysuckle (blooms in January), Leatherleaf mahonia, have all done well. Old garden roses have grown wonderfully once they’re established. They can get sorry looking in the middle of summer without water, but will be fine once the rain comes again. I love Jerusalem sage with its bright yellow flowers in spring and soft gray green leaves all year round. Hypericum also has pretty yellow flowers and arching branches. Agave is great but it sends out underground shoots as much as 4’ away that produce baby plants. I’ve had great success cutting these off and planting elsewhere; they need very little water. Red yucca is a favorite but it needs plenty of room. Even the flower stalks can get 10’ high and droop over paths and driveway. Hummingbirds love it! Ornamental grasses do well; I have miscanthus and Mexican feather grass. Dwarf burford holly is growing slowly with little water, but it will get large. Hummingbird bush (flame ascanthus) is getting larger than I expected. Lantana is a favorite of mine and of the butterflies. Silver germander is a new addition that looks like it will be successful. Redwing vine can be pruned into a bush and gets small yellow flowers next to reddish leaves next to the green leaves. Cardoon is interesting because of its huge leaves and thistle-like blue flowers. Although it dies down after blooming, it keeps returning.
I like my rosemary bushes, but several have developed dead branches in the center. Some butterfly bushes have done great; others didn’t make it. The beautyberry that survived is a very slow grower. Forsythia has looked in danger of dying from drought, but has grown fast (from a 12" stick bought on eBay) and look great in spring.

Smaller perennials:
Autumn joy sedum has a big presence with its fleshy leaves and large seed heads. I have divided it, but also broken off stems in fall that have flopped over with roots attached, and planted those. Achillea or yarrow grows and spreads well. Bearded iris are very tough and beautiful, but need to be divided every few years. Zexsmania blooms until frost and spreads like crazy from seeds. Day lilies do well, even if they brown up in the late summer heat. Salvia greggi, salvia nemerosa, salvia May night, mealy blue sage, Mexican bush sage, and Russian sage are doing great. Lamb’s ear spreads easily, although its leaves rot during drought but still come back the next year. John Fanick phlox is gorgeous, but other varieties have not made it. I grow cannas because I love the colorful flowers. They need water to bloom, so only look good for me in the spring. Giant spider lily has awesome strap shaped leaves and interesting spider like blooms. Mexican mint marigold has pretty yellow blooms in autumn. Snakeherb has made a ground cover that I really like with its dark foliage and lavender flowers. Powis castle artemisia makes a large plant with silver leaves. My daffodils keep coming back. Fortnight lily is happy here. Pink skullcap is growing well but the purple skullcap did not make it.

I have tried many other plants said to tolerate drought, that didn’t make it at all in my xeric landscape, or are not doing well enough to recommend.

A few exceptions: Autumn joy sedum just sulks for me; I've tried it in several places. Daffodils didn't grow, and my big bed of Russian sage looks pathetic--but it's only been in a couple of years.

Have you tried bulbine or California poppies? Russelia equisetiformis (firecracker plant)? Or, Duranta repens? I've had good luck with all those, too. Also lavender, but that must have good drainage.

What does the dry molasses do?

Lots of good ideas here. We'd love to see pictures too!

Thank you!

The rest were taken 2-3 years after planting; the garden is even fuller now. I forgot to mention originally that we also planted some blue vitex or chaste trees which grow like crazy here. They attract lots of bees which have never stung us but are probably good pollinators to have around.

Even pretty in winter:

Thanks so much for sharing your photos and your experiences with us. It is encouraging to me because after a year of reworking our yard, some areas actually look worse than they did in the before pictures. It really is a long term project.

Lots of exclamation points and all deserved :-)

Pam

Do you happen to have any spots in your yard that get that kind of exposure? What plants have worked there?

Garlic chives is an amazing plant for everyone to consider. It stays evergreen, and spreads and seeds itself. I am using it as an edging and this year planted it in partial shade successfully, just using divisions from small plants I bought a year or two ago that filled in rapidly. I expect you can grow it from seed too.

Your gardens are beautiful! I'll bet you'd like Piet Oudolf's gardens. Someone on another forum told me about him recently.

What are the blue plants in the wrought iron fenced area? And the purple leaved shrub/tree?