Xeriscaping is not the absence of landscape design. It’s just an efficient way to use drought-tolerant plants and grasses to conserve water.
You don’t have to fill your garden with rocks and cacti to join this modern movement.
The xeric gardening guide can turn a barren garden into an enviable one. If you live in an arid area, you may have resigned yourself to dead brown grass and a barren backyard.
You may see the lush gardens of people in different climates and think gardens are out of the question.
But why give up when you can learn xeriscaping and create a thriving backyard oasis even in an arid landscape? Read on to learn more about your next home improvement project.
What is Xeriscaping?
The Denver Department of Water coined the term in 1981 by combining “landscape” with the Greek prefix “Xero,” meaning “dry.” More than half of the city’s drinking water is consumed on lawns.
By replacing thirsty grass with drought-tolerant grass, native plants, and landscaping, you can cut a good chunk of your water bill.
Perhaps the easiest way to eliminate grass is to smother it using plastic, newspaper, or cardboard. Depending on the time of year and material used, this can take several months. Stretch light-excluding plastic over the lawn
Before you begin, it’s important to consider the benefits it will bring to your property. If you like the idea of a minimalist design that emphasizes a handful of plants, natural textures, and shapes, read on to see why you need to plan.
The average American spends 91 hours a year mowing, fertilizing, and weeding their yard. The Beginner’s Guide to Xeriscaping will help you drastically reduce that number. There are many other benefits.
Protects the environment by eliminating the need for lawn mowing, herbicides, and fertilizers. When other lawns are dormant, your landscape will shine. Xeriscape plants thrive in shade
Guide to Xeriscaping and Landscaping
You need to consider the soil, which part of the garden gets the most sun, slopes, and companion plants. You can group plants with similar needs.
Separate flower beds with padded borders, pavers, or stones. Placing drought-resistant plants higher in the garden allows plants that need more water to benefit from the runoff. Xeriscaping lets the landscape work with less water without sacrificing your taste.
You’ll find many types of grass and ornamental plants that don’t need much water to thrive: coneflowers, marigolds, lavender daffodils, Iris, Sedum, Coreopsis, and Verbena plants from your region.
Principles Of Xeriscaping
When designing or hiring a panorama clothier to xeriscape a backyard, there are a few charges to hold in mind.
- Design
- Irrigation
- Mulch
- How a great deal turf to plant
- Drought-resistant flora
- Maintenance
You’ll additionally want patience. Drought-tolerant grasses and flora take a bit at the same time to get established. But a bit of painting and organizing your xeriscaped backyard can prevent loads of time, cash, and water down the road.
Now that we’ve explained the principles of xeriscaping, it’s time to put that knowledge into action.
1. Map Your Garden
Make a note of the size and shape of your garden and plan it out visually before you start planting. Create a sun map by recording where the sun shines on your garden every few hours.
This preparation will help you understand where to place the different plants. Here are some common xeriscape styles from Texas to inspire you.
2. Analyze And Adjust Your Soil
As mentioned earlier, your soil needs to be able to retain moisture and support healthy plant growth. Your garden may not have enough soil for xerophytic plants to thrive.
You should purchase a soil testing kit to see the organic matter composition in your soil and determine whether or not you need to add more organic matter.
Each plant has a preferred range of pH levels, soil types, and nutrient levels. Knowing this will help you plan which plants to buy.
3. Find Out More About The Climate And Which Plants Are Native
Check the USDA website for the hardiness zone for your area to determine which plants are most likely to thrive in your yard. Research the average rainfall in your area and use this information to figure out which plants to choose.
Plant selection is crucial. In Texas, many plants are used for xeriscape including shrubs, flowers, grasses, and more. Check out some Xeriscape planting options for Texas here.
Read Also: How to Take Care Of Trees During A Drought
4. Layer Your Plants
There are three zones or layers of plants in a xeriscaping garden. Understanding them is crucial to know how to map your garden. The first zone is the oasis zone. This area is full of easy species adapted to local conditions.
Oasis areas should be closer to the house where they can benefit from roof and gutter drainage. The second zone designed to surround the oasis zone is the transition zone. Plants in this zone should have little water Requirement.
The third zone is the arid zone, which has low water retention. This should be populated with drought-tolerant and low-maintenance plants. Arid areas should be further away from the house in areas with little foot traffic.
5. Treat Lawns Wisely
If you must plant a lawn, plant it near an oasis area to reduce water requirements. Be smart when choosing your weed, too. Warm-season grasses, like buffalo, conserve a lot of water but don’t handle long periods of foot traffic well.
These grasses are suitable for areas that don’t require a lot of water and aren’t used a lot, such as gardens. Grasses for the cool season, such as Plants such as Kentucky Bluegrass require much more water, handle foot traffic better, and should be strategically placed in areas where children and pets play.
6. Adding Mulch
Mulch can help retain moisture and discourage weed growth. Organic, wood-based mulch is good because it retains moisture and, as it breaks down, improves the soil over time.
However, it is necessary to change the mulch every few years to prevent soil erosion or similar problems.
Gravel does not need to be replaced, but can absorb heat and damage plants in sunny areas. Whatever mulch you choose, apply 2 to 4 inches around the plants but avoid direct contact with the stems.
7. Install Irrigation
Install drip irrigation to deliver minimal amounts of water directly to plants and avoid wasting water. This approach exposes the roots to a direct water supply from drip jets that slowly and steadily release water. You can make a drip irrigation system yourself or buy a kit from most local hardware stores.
8. Water Conservation
One of the principal motives for xeriscaping has become a famous landscaping desire because of water conservation in regions in which herbal rainfall is low.
Rather than spending the cash to continuously water-thirsty vegetation, deciding on vegetation greater appropriate to the place without sacrificing splendor is an environmentally (and budget) pleasant idea.
9. Budget Conscious
As mentioned, that is a budget-pleasant alternative overall. Depending on your choices, the preliminary setup may be less difficult for your pocketbook as opposed to a greater historically deliberate garden and lawn mattress combo.
Even in case you pick out to take a greater highly-priced route, maximum owners locate they shop as much as 50% in their fee inside the first 2 years. Less water and gas for garden care, much less fertilizer, much less pest control, and much less time spent on renovation bring about financial savings that upload up fast.
Before you get to planning, you need to recollect what alternatives you’ve got for each floor cowl and vegetation. Where you stay and the herbal quantity of precipitation you get hold of might also additionally decide what you pick out.
Read Also: How To Transplant a Tree Safely: A Step-by-Step Guide
Irrigation Systems and Water Conservation for Xeriscape Gardens
Whether it’s grass, succulents, or low-upkeep flora, you’ll nonetheless want to water occasionally. A drip irrigation device makes use of little water and supplies moisture to the plant’s roots.
Drip irrigation is extra green and saves you cash within side the lengthy run.
Xeriscape Maintenance
All this work is useless if xeriscaping is not properly maintained. If you must use a sprinkler, try to use one that releases less water and has a rain sensor so it doesn’t work on rainy days.
Know that it takes time for plants to become drought tolerant once established, so expect to water more than normal for the first year or two to develop deep roots.
You should also avoid over-fertilizing, weed regularly, monitor irrigation systems, and replace your chosen mulch.
When mowing an area of grass, use a sharp blade and do not remove more than a third of the grass’s height. So stop spending money on landscaping projects that fight the environment instead of protecting it
Low upkeep doesn’t mean “no upkeep.” Plants and shrubs nonetheless want pruning and trimming, and even though buffalo and Bermuda grass have a tendency to reseed themselves, they want a few mowing and edging.
You can also perform a little weeding across the landscaping rocks and update mulch every few years.
Downside To Xeriscaping
- There are a few drawbacks to a backyard without a great deal of grass.
- Little room for children or pets to play
- Tough to easy up leaves (you can’t rake rocks)
- Weeds will sprout without or with water.
- You lose the “air conditioning” impact of a huge lawn.
Frequently Asked Question
Where Would Xeriscaping Be Most Effective In Saving Water For Homeowners?
Xeriscaping is a systematic method to promote water conservation in landscaped areas. Although xeriscaping is primarily used in arid regions, its principles can be used in any region to conserve water.
What Goes Into A Successful Xeriscaping Project?
A successful xeriscaping design takes advantage of the low, medium, and high water needs of plants by carefully grouping them and placing them in an appropriate area in the landscape.
Your large aquatic plants should be in a spot that gets regular use, like your porch or patio. If you’re in a particularly dry or drought-prone area, you might want to consider installing some form of irrigation system.
Does Xeriscaping Increase Temperature?
The extent of cooling was greater on microscales and nocturnal than on local scales and during the day. Increased xeriscaping, however, increased heat and thermal discomfort in mesic neighborhoods.
Where Is Xeriscaping More Common?
The desert areas like Phoenix, Arizona, and xeriscaping allow gardeners to plant native xerophytic plants like ocotillo. Xeriscaping advocates say it can reduce water use by 50 to 75 percent. This saves water and money.
What Plants Increase Home Value?
If you live in a warm area, go for citrus, palm trees, magnolias, and anything with fragrant, exotic blossoms (think frangipane). Fruit trees are highly valuable, and if cherry, plum, or apple trees thrive where you live, you can’t go wrong with a mini orchard (or even just one tree).
How Is The Ground Prepared For Xeriscaping?
Use glyphosate (Roundup, Kleenup) to kill grass in the area you want to convert. Wait seven days for the grass to lose its color. depending on the type and size used. Glyphosate will not harm these new plants.
How Do I Get Rid Of Weed Without Digging?
Perhaps the easiest way to remove weed is to smother it with plastic, newspaper, or cardboard. Depending on the time of year and the material used, this can take several months. Stretch the plastic blocking the light on the lawn.
Conclusion
Many humans mistakenly expect that this exercise is most effective for barren region climates, makes use of a mess of rocks, and is complete with cacti and different succulents and not unusual place barren region vegetation. Even eleven though xeriscaping is a famous option
