US Green Living .com
Xeriscaping refers to the popular term, Xeriscape which is a registered trademark of a company based in Denver, Colorado. Xeriscape is a type of landscaping that ensures minimal usage of water. In areas where waters are scarce, this technique of landscaping will ensure that beautiful flowers will still grow in the garden even though there’s not much water. Established in 1978, the technique eventually became an international hit
because of its practicality.
As complicated is its name, so is the implementation. There are various things that a developer should consider before it could be realized. The most essential requirement is the choice of flowers and plants. As much as possible the plants that will be selected for Xeriscaping are local plants. The preferred plants are usually those that can withstand serious lack of water. Sometimes if it’s not available in the area, it may be possible to transport non-native plants but this is quite dangerous as it trigger contamination.
Extensive knowledge of each plant is also required. The plants should not only be grouped by type but above all, the plants should be grouped according to their water tolerance level. A flower that needs more water should be closer to water source to ensure its survival. The area where the plants grow will have minimal turf area. That means you can’t really have kids playing around near these plants because of the lack of turf. Drip irrigation should also be present and soil should be on top condition to preserve water.
The good thing about Xeriscaping is there’s less water required to maintain the plans. The plants will also overwhelm grass so you won’t be doing lots maintenance in terms of mowing. If rainfall comes, the plants will be able to retain the water longer than a regular garden. Another advantage of this landscape is that bees and butterflies that look really good in the garden will be attracted:
But as great as Xeriscaping is, there are also disadvantages. If you’re really serious about this type of landscaping, you should have careful planning before any implementation. It will even require more work on bed soil as these would still be catered so that waters will be able absorbed real easy. If non-native plants will be used, it might be dangerous for local plants. Through the plant’s history, any non-native plant stronger and sturdier against extreme conditions. It will definitely outlast the weaker, native plants and before you know it, the native plants are no longer there. Even though there are not much grass in the area, these things will still grow in small numbers. If left unchecked it’s going to be an eyesore for your landscape. Maintenance is definitely a challenge for Xeriscaping as most of the operations have to be done by hand to ensure that the plants will not be affected.
So if you have a problem with water, you don’t need to worry about it with this landscape. With careful preparation, prepare a good bed soil, simple irrigation and plan the plants carefully to ensure success.
