Xeriscaping is a conceptual form of gardening that uses drought-tolerant plants to beautify the green spaces of homes and businesses. Xeriscaping could become the method that all future gardeners will use to develop gardens, as water is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity globally, and especially in arid climates such as those of the desert. The term Xeriscape was coined in 1978 by the Denver Department's Front Range Xeriscape Task Force, with the aim of promoting water-efficient landscaping. The Xeriscape name is a registered trademark of the Denver Department of Water. The root Xeros derives from the Greek and means dry, and has been combined with the term landscape (English word that indicates the design of a natural environment). A garden created using xeriscaping looks varied and beautiful, regardless of where it is located. And it does not imply the use of simple cacti, succulents and rocks, but xeriscaping means designing a garden with plants that need less water to allow people to save on consumption and reduce the care necessary for its maintenance.
Steps
Step 1. Analyze the place:
the key to xeriscaping is to understand which plant needs can be easily met by the location, and the only way to understand this is to determine what is naturally provided by the site, with minimal effort. Draw a map of your garden (trying to keep it to scale if possible) and gather the following information:
- The passage of the sun. Determine which are the sunniest and darkest spots in the garden. On a regular hourly basis, it records which areas are most affected by the sun. Remember that sun exposure will also vary depending on the different time of year and different geographic location (the sunniest part of your garden may still receive much less light than the darkest part of someone else's garden).
- Soil analysis. What nutrients are already available (or missing) in your soil? What is the pH? What kind of soil are you working on? A clayey soil? Or rich in silt? A fat land? Gravel? All of these factors can affect the type of plant that will thrive in your garden. You could consider improving or cultivating the soil to initiate those processes that create healthier soil, but not radically alter its nature, otherwise you will risk starting a very long process, which will need great maintenance efforts (the opposite. of xeriscaping).
- The analysis of the rainfall of your soil. How many inches of rain fall on your garden per year? Is this amount of water diluted over the course of the year or does it concentrate in a short and highly rainy period?
Step 2. Classify the areas:
there are three types to classify the areas of your garden:
- The oasis - located near a large structure. It will benefit from falling rain and shade (which reduces evaporation, retaining more water in the soil); it can also be found around a large tree or on the edge of a wood or an orchard;
- The transition area - a transition area between the oasis and arid zones;
- The arid zone - As far away as possible from structures, little frequented, which receives most of the sunlight.
Step 3. Select the plants:
Get a list of plants suitable for your region's climate. Use the guidelines of the American Department of Agriculture (or, if you prefer, the Italian Ministry of Agriculture) or those of the best existing books on gardening, for detailed information divided by area. From that list, choose a variety of plants that tolerate drought conditions. See the list below for more tips. Another strategy is to find which plants are native to your geographic area. Remember that the garden must be designed according to "distance bands". Think of each structure (the house, a large tree) as a focal point. At each focal point, add a new colorful and eye-catching species that looks good in the climatic conditions of your geographic area. As you move away from the focal point, the plants will become thinner and more suitable for drought. In gathering the list of plants that live well in your area, remember these tricks about their arrangement, as well as the rules previously analyzed regarding the sun, water and soil type.
Step 4. Fill larger areas with grass
The classic mowed lawn is a "carpet" of grass that requires water and a lot of care. Replace it with natural grass or choose a mantle (such as clover lawn) or you can use ornamental succulents that grow in bushes and surrounded by soil (the idea is to use succulents only as a distinctive feature, rather than making them the centerpiece of the garden). The area covered by the mowed lawn is normally classified as arid, so covering it with plant species that require little care will make a big difference.
If the grassy area is large enough that plant care requires too much attention, consider creating a focal point in the center. Here you can plant a drought-tolerant tree or bush, a raised flower bed, or a decorative structure (such as a wheelbarrow overflowing with flowers). This may require more water (try to use the bare minimum anyway), but at least it will make your garden aesthetically pleasing and at the same time allow you to "decorate" the surrounding area with species that require less care
Step 5. Group all the plants that need more water near the structures
It is preferable to plant them in pots, so that the roots absorb more water (rather than planting them in the surrounding soil, where it would encourage the growth of weeds). You may also want to consider using self-watering pots. Vases can also have a decorative purpose.
- An alternative to using pots is to create a retaining wall (a sort of very large container), which has the added value of being able to add more plants to the oasis area.
- Arrange your plants based on the amount of sun available. Some sides of the structure will receive a lot more sunlight than others. Since some plants can receive more light and heat than others, plant those that can withstand the sun and drought best in areas most affected by the afternoon sun.
- Have a controlled irrigation system if needed. Install a drip irrigation system to water the plants. In this way the evaporation of the water will be reduced to a minimum and will allow you to save it for other purposes. Plus, slower watering will lead to less water loss.
Step 6. Soften the boundaries
Fill the transitional areas between drylands and oasis with plants that are somewhere between the need for sun and water and that are at the same time beautiful to look at. One way to do this is to create a "cascade" effect starting from the oasis plants (tall and colorful) to the plants in the transition zone (a little lower, which attract attention more for their shapes rather than for the color., such as bushes, shrubs or tufts of ornamental succulents) to those of arid areas (low, thin and very resistant to drought). However, if there is a retaining wall, the transition zone may not be necessary. Finally, choose what you like best!
Step 7. For soil conservation. Put some potting soil
Choose appropriate potting soil that will help reduce soil erosion and limit weeds. Proper mulching will help conserve soil moisture. As it decays, it will enrich the soil, but it will need to be replaced regularly. A stony or gravelly loam, on the other hand, will not need to be replaced, but will need to be reinforced with a filter cloth to the soil in order to prevent weeds from growing through the soil and, thus, will also retain heat (which could damage the plants. more delicate). It will also attract fewer insects.
Some recommended plants
Bushes
- Fallugia paradoxa
- Berberis thunbergii
- Colutea arborescens
- Ceanothus fendleri
- Potentilla fruticosa
- Cowania mexicana
- Cotoneaster spp.
- Amorpha canescens
- Cercocarpus spp.
- Caragana spp.
- Forestiera spp.
- Chrysothamnus spp.
- Holodiscus dumosus
- Artemisia spp.
- Atriplex canescens
- Prunus besseyi
- Hippophae rhamnoides
- Rhus spp.
- Yucca spp.
Perennial plants
- Nepeta x faassenii "Blue"
- Echinocereus triglochidiatus
- Artemisia versicolor "Seafoam"
- Lavandula spp.
- Hymenoxys acaulis
- Agastache spp.
- "May Night" Sage
- Penstemon pinifolius
- Perovskia atriplicifolia
Trees
- Quercus macrocarpa
- Koelreuteria paniculata
- Fraxinus pennsylvanica lanceolata
- Celtis occidentalis
- Sophora japonica
- Gymnocladus dioicus
- Pinus edulis
- Gleditsia triancanthos inermis
- Catalpa speciosa
Not all plants can grow in any climatic zone. For more information, contact the nearest university department, gardening associations or your trusted gardener. The information you just read is from Dave's Garden and the Department of the University of Colorado service (see Sources and Quotes below).
Advice
- Install stone slabs alternating with gravelly, stony, or mulch soil, in addition to your chosen plants.
- Learn to save water.
- Work with a landscape architect, an experienced gardener, or read books on gardening in your area. Xeriscaping is practiced everywhere. A palm will not do well in British Columbia (Canada), but it may be suitable in Phoenix, Arizona.
- Plant the trees and windbreaks first, then the succulents and lawn. Trees and windbreaks will provide shade and slow down the gusts of wind, protecting your garden.
- Some drought tolerant flowers are Night Beauty (Mirabilis jalapa), Carnation (Dianthus), Portulaca grandiflora and Nasturtium.
- Contact your water manager and university agriculture department for more information on xeriscaping.
