Xeriscaping?

[John S.]

Anyone here who has heard about Xeriscaping or is practicing it?

Xeriscaping peaked my curiosity because it is described as a low-maintenance system that incorporates good water conservation practices.

Hmmm perhaps I'll try Xeriscaping for a change and maybe get some chores off my hands eh

[arianne]

It's the first time I've heard of it, so I did some research. I feel sort of geeky now, having learned about it haha. Here's what I found out:

Xeriscape, a combination of the Greek word "xeros" for dry and the word landscape, is a gardening method that reduces the need for supplemental irrigation, ideal for places that don't have easy access to supplies of fresh water. The use of plants whose natural requirements are appropriate for local climates are encouraged.

Xeriscaping

It looks promising.

---------- Post added at 01:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 PM ----------

Here's another one I found about xeriscaping (sorry, I couldn't edit my post )

Xeriscape

[honeylemon]

xeriscaping huh? well that's really new to my ears...I'll try to check that out.

[farmerbrie]

Principles of Xeriscape Gardening

You'll get the SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF XERISCAPING from this link.

[Edward12]

Xeriscaping is designed for gardens mainly in arid regions but this method can be applied anywhere else to help conserve water and still have a beautiful garden.

[sakura]

Here's a complete guide to xeriscaping. I found it simple yet informative. I may not do xeriscape, but I'm thinking of adapting a few of the principles and practices for my garden.

Principles of Xeriscape Design | Water – Use It Wisely

[farmerbrie]

* Conserve water = Lower water bills

* More water available for other uses and other people (such as showers,
sinks, hoses)

* Less time and work needed for maintenance = low maintenance and
stress-free

* Little or no lawn mowing = save fuel

* Xeriscape plants along with proper bed design tends to take full
advantage of rainfall

* When there is drought and water availability is very low, xeriscape plants
will tend to survive, while more traditional plants may not

* Create favorable habitats for native bees, butterflies, and other fauna

[farmerbrie]

1. Needs careful planning, especially if you want to establish certain colors
of flowers to be present throughout the season, because there are
many perennials that do not bloom continuously

2. Initial work including ground and bed preparation for planting is quite
heavy

3. There are homeowners' associations which may object to
non-traditional plants.

4. Requires that people moving from water-abundant to water-scarce
areas change their mindset as to what types of plants they are able to
practically and economically maintain

5. May have to substitute one type of plant for another

6. Xeriscape gardens require regular maintenance which is more labor
intensive especially if you want to keep a variety of colors. Weeds can
also grow and become a problem

7. More complicated irrigation systems may be required

8. Xeriscape plants can waste water if irrigation is not properly managed