• Garden-in-a-Box
• Basics
• Plants
• Books
• Local Gardens
• Contacts and Websites

Water Wisdom in Your Landscape

We live in a semi-arid climate, with extreme temperatures, intense sunshine, high winds and an annual average of only 10-16 inches of rainfall. Yet with this scant amount of moisture and a water wise landscape plan you can have a yard that goes beyond your needs and expectations.

Over the past several years, “Xeriscape” has become a popular word. It is derived from the Greek word “xeros”, meaning “dry” and combined with landscape, to mean water efficient landscape design and practice. This gardening strategy allows you to create and maintain a varied and colorful landscape plan that uses drought tolerant plants. The term is often used to describe water efficient, water wise or water conservative landscaping but should not be misunderstood as “zeroscaping”.

The goal of using less water in your landscape is accomplished by tailoring a design to match your needs with the environmental conditions of your yard. Following a water conservative design leaves water available for other beneficial uses, in addition to reflecting significant savings on your water bill. Maybe it’s time to try something new.

The Keep it Simple Basics

There are seven basic steps to successful water efficient landscaping. If you are planning on doing the work yourself, remember to keep things simple and set realistic goals for yourself.

1. Develop an overall practical design. Incorporate rocks, drift wood, paths and high and low areas for variety. Think about what you want and why. How do you use your yard? What special features does it have? The time you put into this step will save you time later.
    
2. Be aware of your soil types and amend if necessary. Native plant materials do not require rich soil but adding organic matter to soil boosts its capacity to hold moisture. This is a great place to put your compost to work.
    
3. Determine turf areas and most appropriate turf types for your design. Try mixing miniature bulbs in your buffalo grass areas for early spring color.
    
4. Choose drought resistant plant materials. There are hundreds of options including many native and non-native species that thrive in our semi-arid climate.
    
5. Many irrigation options exist including drip lines, soaker hoses, etc. Choose what is most efficient for your plan.
    
6. Mulch heavily to maximize moisture retention and minimize weed invasion. Organic mulch such as wood chips is preferable. Weed barriers may be used but do interrupt the natural processes that occur in soil. Rock mulch may be used but holds heat and evaporates the moisture we are trying to keep in the soil for our plants’ root systems.
    
7. Follow through with the necessary maintenance. The time required here will be determined by your design.