The Xeriscape Philosophy

Xeriscape is not a style of landscape design – rather it is a planning approach to respond to regional and local conditions. The results are a quality, water-efficient landscape. A traditional-looking yard that includes some manicured turf area, lots of color and a look of luxuriant growth is all possible with Xeriscape. The Xeriscape philosophy incorporates the following good gardening principles:

• Planning and design…for beauty from the start.
• Proper soil preparation…for healthier plants that thrive, not just survive.
• Create practical turf areas…of manageable sizes, shapes and appropriate grasses.
• Appropriate plant selection…for versatility in your landscape.
• Use of mulches…to provide benefits for your landscape.
• Water efficiently…for healthier, more drought-tolerant landscape.
• Maintain effectively…to preserve the beauty of your landscape.

Step One: Planning and Design

Creating a water-efficient landscape begins with a well thought out plan and design. This is the most important step in developing or renovating your landscape. It saves you money and costly mistakes because it makes you think before you act.

• Determine the scope of the project.
• Consider appearance, function, maintenance, water requirements and budget.
• Sketch your plan.
• Match plants to yard conditions such as sunny, shady, dry or damp.
• Group plants together by zones requiring frequent watering, occasional watering, and no supplemental watering. Zoning refers to grouping plants together so their water needs are as nearly identical as possible.
• Incorporate pervious hardscapes (features such as paver patios, paver walks, retaining walls, and steps) in your design. Use pervious material to allow water to penetrate into the ground instead of running off.

Step Two: Proper Soil Preparation

Plants need a healthy root system to thrive. Compacted, shallow, rocky, sandy, or clay soil may not allow a plant to develop a root system sufficient to support luxuriant foliage. Good soil supports healthy plant life and conserves moisture.

• Amend the soil with compost/organic materials to:
• Increase the soil’s ability to absorb and store water in a form available to plants
• Increase aeration
• Aid in the development of a better root system.
• Improve plant survival in times of drought and stress.
• Allow better distribution of nutrients and minerals.

Step Three: Create Practical Turf Areas

Turf generally uses the most water in your landscape. Well-established turf reduces noise, air and water pollution and is an excellent form of erosion control. Turf also provides unity and simplicity in a well-designed xeric landscape. The goals are to a) plan how much turf you really need (no more than 50%) and b) minimize ongoing maintenance costs.

• Put turf only where you really need/want it.
• Design turf areas that are functional rather than decorative.
• Design turf areas in rounded, compact shapes that will enable you to water and mow more efficiently.
• Design turf areas so they can be watered separately from other landscape plants.
• Avoid planting grass on slopes or isolated strips along sidewalks and driveways.
• Choose turf appropriate for the location.
• Minimize grass areas by using alternatives such as ground covers, mulch or pervious hardscapes.
• Consider reducing existing turf areas by enlarging/creating flower beds, mulching under trees, or adding paths, decking and gazebos with pervious hardscape flooring.

Step Four: Appropriate Plant Selection

Combining native plants with well-adapted exotic plants that can survive both drought and extremes of weather is the key to having a beautiful, interesting landscape that is Texas-tough.

• Keep landscape more in tune with the environment.
• Look for native or well-adapted plants. They are drought and heat-tolerant, have lower fertilizer requirements because they get their nutrients from the soil, need fewer pesticides, and are adapted to seasonal variations.
• Choose a diversity of plants.
• Group plants of similar water needs together.
• Experiment to determine how much and how often to water.
• “Drought-train” your plants. Let them tell you when they need to be watered, not a pre-determined schedule.
• Match the moisture requirements of plants to the best microclimate available to them.

Step Five: Use of Mulches

Mulch is a layer of material that covers the soil surface, prevents moisture loss and conserves water. Mulches can be organic materials, such as lawn clippings, shredded bark, wood chips, leaves, compost, and nut shells; or inorganic materials such as rock, gravel, crushed stone and decomposed granite. Mulches can be applied in planting beds or areas not appropriate for planting. Mulch also provides the following benefits:

• Reduces weeds.
• Controls erosion.
• Prevents soil compaction.
• Lowers soil temperatures.
• Encourages plant growth and development.
• Eases maintenance.
• Provides landscape interest.
• Prevents splashing of soil and certain plant disease organisms onto plants and flowers.

Step Six: Water Efficiently

Xeriscape plants are tolerant to longer periods of dry conditions, but not completely devoid of the need for water. Most drought plants can be watered once every 7-14 days once established and will provide a lovely accent to the landscape. Watering deeply less often encourages roots to grow deeper in search of moisture. Watering shallow more often encourages roots to stay near the surface of the ground, causing them to be more susceptible to hot temperatures and lack of rainfall. Apply water only to plants that need water and be sure to water early in the morning before the sun causes too much evaporation.

Step Seven: Xeriscape Maintenance

A properly designed landscape requires consistent maintenance. However, most of the maintenance can be avoided by thorough planning and design, appropriate installation techniques, and timely observations of the condition of grasses, plants and their beds, and irrigation system components. You can reduce your maintenance efforts by:

• Reducing pruning by not over-planting shrubbery (gauge size of mature plants).
• Separating ground covers with edging material.
• Reducing lawn care by downsizing turf areas.
• Encouraging growth of new plants with proper soil preparation.
• Reducing plant loss, fertilizing and pesticide use by using native or well-adapted plants.
• Reducing weeding in flower beds by using mulch.