Mailbag: Xeriscaping in pots? Not so fast ...

Dear Jessica,

I enjoyed your column on Sunday. Of the plants you recommended, would any be especially good in a pot in a year-round sunny location? -- Howard Needleman, Bayside, Queens

Hi Howard:

Any of the plants mentioned would grow well in a container, though some would require a pretty large pot. But it's important to point out that any plant — even a drought tolerant one — requires much more care when growing in a container than it would if it were in the ground. And that means more fertilizer to keep it thriving — and more water, unfortunately. So true drought tolerance doesn't exist in a container.