One way to have a glorious garden without all the water is Xeriscape. The concept of Xeriscape began in Denver in response to severe water shortages. Though popular in the dry thirsty lands of the western United States, xeriscaping is rapidly gaining followers in the New England states as well. Here where water is traditionally plentiful, competing uses have created development-related shortages. Not only does the concept of xeriscaping save water, money, upkeep and time, the results are beautiful.
The average American family sprays a whopping 50% of their total water use on their landscape each spring and summer, very little of it actually utilized by the plants. Xeriscape can reduce that wasteful use by 70% and the homeowner gets the added benefit of increasing his property value by as much as 15%.
Though the Greek work "xeros" means "dry", a xeriscape is not. The term refers to the fact that xeriscapes use very little water. It isn't just replacing lawns with rocks and sand. It's an integrated program that takes 7 basic principles into consideration. http://www.xeriscapenm.com/Principles.ht...
Planning and Design:
Every garden benefits from a good design. A xeriscape depends upon one. Devise a plan grouping together plants with similar water needs to create distinct watering zones. Organize your zones so that they transition from least drought-tolerant to most. Incorporate a water feature into the highest water use zone. A recirculating waterfall or pond provides a moisture-laden environment where ferns and other water-loving plants can thrive without additional irrigation. It also adds interest to the garden.
Utilize and modify existing slopes to divert water to the less drought-tolerant plants in your xeriscape. Terrace slopes you can't modify to minimized runoff and erosion losses. Locate the most drought-tolerant plants in areas with southern or western exposures, as these tend to be the hottest and driest spots. Ornamental grasses make a dramatic statement in the landscape and most, being prairie natives, require no watering whatsoever. http://www.limerockgrasses.com/index.htm Minimize the use of rocks, plastic, and sand in high heat areas. These materials will simply raise temperatures and often cause runoff problems.
