DROUGHT-TOLERANT GARDENS FARE BEST.

Byline: JANE GATES Gardening

As I promised in my last column, here are some suggestions for drought-tolerant plants and California natives that do well in this area. Most are good for planting now through the end of winter.

For a site in full sun, consider a sage like the Salvia clevelandii that grows into a sizable bush with whirls of purple flowers - or the slightly smaller Salvia greggii, which comes in pinks, reds and whites.

For yellow flowers, try coreopsis with its daisylike flowers, or buckwheats like Eriogonum umbellatum, the ``sulphur buckwheat'' that grows in a neat clumping form.

Scatter seeds of the California poppy for brilliant orange blooms. Or try seeds of the annual clarkia for a mixed celebration of pinks. If happy, these natives will self-seed for next year.

A source for rich, bright red floral displays is either Penstemon eatonii or Penstemon centranthifolius.

Dicholostemma are native bulbs that offer deep purple flowers - these probably have to be ordered from a seed catalog. Brilliant blues are the reward of planting the annual Phacelia campanularia, which also can be grown from seed. Pale purples and blues can be found in large-growing black sage (Salvia mellifera) and related small ground-cover salvia varieties like ``terra secca'' and ``Bee's Bliss.''

Show-stopping purple blooms cover the hard-to-find ``woolly blue curls'' (tricostemma) that can grow to a sizable shrub. All these plants require excellent drainage and lots of sun.

Preferring a little more shade, ceanothus comes in several forms - as ground-cover plants, bushes or small trees. Flowers vary from white to deep blue. Shade-loving ``baby-blue-eyes'' is another annual that does well from seeds.

The native perennial columbine throws up very decorative red-orange flowers up to 3 feet tall in spring. These plants need more water than those listed previously. They are California natives but naturally grow among taller plants that offer them some shade. They also grow in slightly more moist areas.

In this region, the splashy Matilija poppy usually appreciates some dappled shade and a little more water than it would need in milder areas of Southern California. Its giant white flowers with big yellow centers give it the fond nickname ``fried-egg plant.''

Drought-tolerant plants come from all over the world. There are many cactuses and succulents that do well in our area but, since some come from nonfrost areas, not all can tolerate our winter nights. Cold and wet can cause rot for those not given excellent drainage.

Some other nonnative families with showy flowers are: hesperaloe, grevillea, hakea, acacia and caesalpina. And there are plenty more drought- tolerant and native plants, from diminutive miniatures to tall trees.

Check with your local nursery, and there are a number of excellent books on the subject. Also, the Theodore Payne Institute in Sun Valley is a primary source for California native plants - books, plants and seeds - for growing in Southern California.