QUESTION:What are some garden plants that can grow and thrive with a minimal amount of water?

ANSWER: There are plenty of water-thrifty plants, some of which are native to our region, that will grow and thrive in our gardens. With a recent visit to Marilyn Raff's garden in Littleton, we found the following doing very well during the heat and drought of this summer. Following is a brief list featured on Gardening with an ALTITUDE:

Inula ensifolia
Swordleaf Inula
Eriogonum subalpinum
Sulfur Buckwheat
Verbascum bombyciferum 'Artic Summer'
Mullien
Agastache ruprestris
Hyssop
Ephedra nevadensis
Mormon Tea
Eupatorium maculatum 'Gateway'
Joe-Pye Weed
Hemerocallis sp.
Daylilies
Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus'
Variegated ornamental maiden grass

And don't assume you can't grow roses in a water-thrifty garden. Here are a few suggestions:

Seafoam -white
Hiawatha - red
Harison's Yellow

Tune in to the JOHN and JERI SHOW on 630 KHOW Saturday morning from 7 to 9 for more Gardening in the Rockies Tips and listen for "Ask the Gardener" questions featured on 7NEWS. John Cretti is the author of the first state specific book "Colorado Gardener's Guide"