Xeriscaping -- What is This?

7. Practice proper maintenance. Too many people over-water their lawns and flower beds. Fertilizing in the correct amounts and even mowing the lawn so the grass is left a bit higher all help maintain a xeriscaped yard.

A yard designed while following these principles will naturally reduce your water bills, and your maintenance time and cost. As I travel through neighborhoods in my home city, I've noticed these very common problems which could be solved by practicing the seven principles of design outlined above.

-- Many people have flower beds a long ways from the house, out in full sun where getting extra water to them is difficult.

-- Mulching a flower bed is often viewed as a luxury rather than a requirement in maintaining a nice yard.

-- Insisting on growing plants which are not naturally native to your area results in having to provide water when rainfall is insufficient. The same thing occurs when you try to grow shade-tolerant plants in full sun!

-- Trying to grow plants in the wrong soil. There is a plant which can successfully grow in almost any type of soil. However, trying to grow a moisture loving plant such as hostas in an extremely sandy location is likely to have you running up your water bill trying to keep them alive. Likewise, trying to grow a succulent plant such as Sedum sp. in the moist soil next to a stream is wrong too.

-- Disease and pest problems resulting in ragged appearing plants. Diseases or pests are more likely to attack stressed plants which lack proper fertilizer or soil moisture. Matching plants to your yard conditions will avoid many of these problems.

It is impossible for me to give suggested plants for a xeriscaped yard because the choice is so dependent on where you live. I invite you to review the following websites to explore xeriscaping further.

http://www.webcoast.com/xeriscape/

http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/x...

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/exten...

http://www.dwr.ehnr.state.nc.us/wsas/con...

http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/nyclink/html/dep...

http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/dickinso/97...

http://www.cabq.gov/resources/xeric.html

http://www.htcomp.net/weis/xxbutterfly.H...

Xeriscaping is a tool that should be used by every gardener, not just the disabled or elderly. However, for this unique population, establishing a xeriscaped yard in the beginning can save a lot of work as physical limitations increase. It well could make the difference between having a nice yard with little effort and having to give up gardening totally.

Until next week, good gardening to you!

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