Published in the ECHO Journal, November 2010
How can homeowners and communities alike make changes that will have a positive affect on the environment, reduce the dependency on our natural resources, and ultimately save money? The solution is Xeriscape.
What is Xeriscape?
Xeriscape promotes the goal of water-efficient landscaping. It is not necessarily a large yard of gravel, but more an attractive landscape with low water usage and drought-hardy plants and materials. These plants thrive in desert or sandy soil and hot climates. Reduced or no turf is one of the main components of a xeriscaped environment.
Why Xeriscape?
- Lawn turf uses up to twice the amount of water than a xeriscaped landscape will consume.
- There is much less maintenance to deal with. No lawn mowing, monthly fertilizing, edging, and annual dethatching and aerating.
- Very time consuming to care for turf and landscaping on a weekly basis.
- If you hire a landscape service to maintain your turf landscape, you can eliminate this expense.
- According to Colorado Water Wise, a good xeriscape can increase property values by 15%.
- Cities and towns with water restrictions during heavy drought periods will not permit homeowners to water yards.
- For many homeowners, turf areas are not used by adults, children, or pets; so replacing that area with xeriscape will not affect lifestyles.
- Comply with social pressures of protecting the environment and set an example for others to follow
How to Xeriscape?
First, look to your state, county, city or town regarding financial incentives and rebate programs that may be in play for converting from turf to xeriscaping. These monetary incentives are prevalent in arid regions.
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Prepare Your Design Layout
- Understand which plants will easily satisfy the site with minimal long-term effort.
- Draw a map of the lawn area, noting which areas are the sunniest and which are the shadiest parts. Keep in mind that the site’s exposure to sunlight will also vary at different times of the year.
- Study the rainfall patterns for your site to determine drainage.
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Look At Your Various Zone Types
- Oasis – close to a large structure, an oasis benefits from rain runoff and shade, which reduces evaporation
- Transition – a “buffer” area between oasis and arid zones
- Arid – farthest from structures, low-traffic, receives the most sunlight
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Select Your Plants
Review a list of plants that would be appropriate for your region. Use the Sunset Western Garden book for zone information. Select a variety of plants that will tolerate drought conditions. The site should be planted in layers starting at the structure or large tree. Add bright, colorful plant materials that are well-suited to local conditions. Moving away from the structure, the plants become more subtle and also more drought-tolerant.
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Fill Large Arid Areas With A Lawn Substitute
The green lawn represents heavy water usage and maintenance. Replace that lawn with native prairie, ground cover, and ornamental grasses that grow in clumps, surrounded by mulch. The area that is normally lawn is usually classified as arid; thus if you replace the area with low-maintenance plant species, this will definitely make a difference.
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Put Water-Needy Plants Together Near Structures
Put these in containers so the roots will get more water. Another idea to consider is the use of self-watering pots. An alternative to containers is creating a retaining wall that makes the oasis plants stand out more. Arrange plants based on the amount of sunshine available, because some sides of the structure will get a lot more sunlight than others. Use the plants that can take more sun and heat in the sun-friendly area of the afternoon sun. Install a water-thrifty irrigation system with drips to water plants. Water evaporation is minimized, and the slowness of drip irrigation produces less run-off.
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Transition Areas
Fill these areas between arid and oasis zones with plants that fall in the middle in terms of water, sunlight, and aesthetics. Create an effect of tall and bright plants to shorter, eye-catching shrubs, bushes or ornamental grasses.
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Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
Mulch reduces erosion and suppresses weeds. Organic, wood-based mulch retains moisture.
Xeriscaping is about plants, making changes in plant selection, and making your landscape water wise. Look into ways you and your community can implement this program to save money and protect the environment.
Patti Jo Lewis is the Vice President for Systems and Logistics at Associa in Tucson, AZ. This article was previously published in Association Times, a publication from Associa.