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Xeriscaping
| Xeriscaping After a hard day of lawn mowing, who of us hasn't entertained the thought of paving over the whole darn thing? There is another way: xeriscaping. (Xeriscape is a trademarked term created by the Denver Water Board.) While they sound the same, xeriscaping is different than zero-scaping, which involves paving or gravel with the occasional cactus planted here and there. Xeriscaping is a form of dry (Greek: Xeros) landscaping which relies on saving water and avoiding evaporation.
Gravel and/or mulch are used for most of the landscaped area. Plants which have similar watering requirements are grouped together in artfully placed clumps. Drought tolerant plants are preferred to tropicals for obvious reasons. And, yes, cacti play a big part in Xeriscaping. Watering is sparse. Drip irrigation is preferred to overhead sprays because of the benefits of the lack of evaporation.
Xeriscaping is easy and prevalent in the desert Southwest, where water is scarce. By planting trees, shrubs, and cacti that are native to the region in the first place, you can be assured that the plants will thrive on the normal rainfall in the region.
Xeriscaping can be a beautiful way to landscape. With water-storing flowering plants--bulbs, succulents, cacti--splashes of color will dot an otherwise bland area. The obvious benefit is saving water while having a maintainable and presentable display. A drawback to a Xeriscaped plot is its maintenance. Weeds can push through the gavel and mulch ruining the punctuating effect desired. One must always resist the temptation to use weed killers because they can get into the water table. If you are concerned with water conservation in these times of drought and want to have a beautiful landscape, consider xeriscaping. |