Here’s what you need to know about Xeriscape

Necessity is the mother of invention and in the 1980’s when the Western United States were stricken with years upon years of severe drought but people weren’t willing to part with their full gardens, xeriscape landscaping was born. Simply put, xeriscape is a landscaping technique that requires little to no water. (In Larin xero means dry and scape means view.) Here’s what you need to know before you start your xeriscape design with your Yardzen design team.

Xeriscape doesn’t mean zero water

Like any new landscaping, you’ll need to irrigate a new xeriscape garden. But the good news is xeriscape gardens require less water to get established and in many cases you can turn off irrigation altogether once the plants’ root systems are settled.

You’ll hear us say this a lot here at Yardzen – native plants are your friend. Particularly if you’re seeking to establish landscaping that requires as little water as possible, natives are a great place to start because they’re already adapted to your regional climate.

One of the most user friendly rules of landscape design is to emulate vegetation as it naturally occurs. Pay attention to the vegetation and surrounding earth on your next hike and you’ll notice rocks everywhere. Xeriscape is a great opportunity to make use of rocks and pathways to reduce the total number of plants you need in your design and also to make your garden look natural.

We hear lots of clients share concern around xeriscape looking sparse and dry. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Mature xeriscape gardens can be every bit as full and lush – if not more – than a water-guzzling garden. Refer back to the high likelihood these native gardens will thrive due to the pre-adaption to your climate.

Start your xeriscape garden today with your Yardzen team and cut your water bill by up to 50%.