What is Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping is one of the newest techniques in gardening. It is designed to eliminate or reduce the need for supplemental irrigation and promoted in areas where there is lack of fresh water.

Unfortunately, not all plants are ideal for xeriscaping. In the US, this can only work for agave, cactus, juniper, lavender, sedum and thyme.

But if such plants are suited to your environment, you can reap the benefits like lowering your water bills, using the water supply for other purposes, less maintenance for the plants and little or no lawn mowing.

The disadvantages are it will take some time prepare beds to start planting them, not all neighborhoods permit the planting of non-traditional plants especially in residential areas, since you don’t use water that much weeds will soon grow in your lawn and the beds once prepared have to be maintained that happens to be more challenging that edging or mowing.

If you want to try xeriscaping, study your terrain first and then decide if it is feasible. For instance, in California, people there have realized that plants from the northern regions of California are not suitable for plants coming from the desert south. This means you have to consult some first so you don’t waste your time and money.

Should it be feasible to use xeriscaping in the area, the advantages that were mentioned earlier will take place.

Aside from using plants that consume water only found in the US, you might even want to try other species that come from Africa, Australia or Southern Europe. Chances are, these might already be available at the gardening store as these were already imported by someone who is also encouraging gardeners to practice xeriscaping.

But xeriscaping is gaining popularity. This is now being encouraged both by municipal and state agencies in the Western US. You will notice this on the exterior of buildings as well as within the regional parks. Each state has already made a list of what plants can survive a given area so you don’t have to ask around anymore when you can get this information from the experts.

Allowing these plants to grow without even giving them enough water has reduced the cost in maintenance and has even provided a habitat to various creatures like the hummingbird and the butterfly.

To make this look good with your home, landscape experts compliment the plants used with rock garden arrangements that have creeping groundcovers and succulents that can provide color, height, texture, and a seasonal variety equivalent to conventional ornamentals.

But won’t this make the lawn look bear since we are accustomed to bushes and grass? The answer is no because it can be substituted with herbaceous perennials, and deciduous or coniferous shrubs. You can also use buffalo grass and blue gamma grass which does not consume that much water compared to bluegrass.

You can even help this grow by using mulch that is made of bark chips, pine needles, wood grindings, composted cotton burrs or gravel and decomposed granite.

So how do you start xeriscaping at home? Before you do anything, it is best do some research and then come up with a plan.

When this has been laid out, it will probably be a good idea to consult an irrigation professional for advice on your new watering system because this technique still requires you to use water anymore to keep the plants alive.

From there you can already put the walkway and then add the plants one by one to the sides of your garden.

Is it cheaper to do xeriscaping compared to regular landscaping? The answer is no because the prices of the plants and the services of a contractor are pretty much the same. The only difference is that you don’t have to pay that much anymore for maintenance costs since the plants do not need that much water which helps lower your water bill.

Xeriscaping can be done. You just have to check if this can work where you reside and then invest a certain amount of money to remodel your entire garden. In time, your neighbors and friends will compliment you on what you did and may even want to do same thing for their garden.