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Xeriscaping -- What is This?

© Diana Pederson

Xeriscaping is fast becoming an important approach to garden design. Xeros means dry in the Greek language. Therefore, a xeriscape is a "dry landscaping". Some immediately picture a yard full of nothing but cacti and rocks. Nothing could be farther from the truth. A xeriscaped yard simply contains plants that are suitable for the area's climate including temperature ranges and annual rain fall.

There are seven basic principles to xeriscaping as currently practiced. You'll find the principles listed in almost every reference on this topic even if they are just worded slightly different. The basic principles include:

1. Good design -- referring to the landscape plan. Avoid large expanses of lawn which is water hungry is a major step in designing your landscape.

2. Prepare the soil -- deeply worked soil with the right amount of organic components holds more moisture naturally which limits the extra watering you need to do to maintain your yard. Some horticulturists recommend working at least 4 inches of organic matter into the beds yearly until you achieve a deep, friable soil. If the soil is friable, it will just clump together and won't be too wet or too dry. It drains easily when it does rain although it absorbs some moisture. Talk to your cooperative extension agent to find out what your soil needs to create a good, rich garden bed.

3. Reduce the number of shrub and lawn areas you design. These are water hungry beds. Here, using native species makes more sense than using many of today's shrubs. Choosing a grass which goes dormant during dry periods and then greens up when the rains begin is better than a yard that you have to water through the dry spells.

4. Use native plants that naturally demand less water. Many of these plants go dormant as the summer heats up. Others simply demand less water to start with. This includes many of our wild flowers, bulbs, and plants from dry climates.

5. Adopt watering methods which are both effective and efficient. A xeriscaped yard may save as much as 50% of their water bill over a more traditional yard today. Deep watering your lawn and shrub beds is actually better for the plants than frequent light watering because it causes their roots to grow deep in the search for moisture.

6. Keep all flower beds and shrub borders well mulched -- this reduces water evaporation and limits weed growth. You don't need weeds using up the limited water available to your plants.

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