Saving Water with Your Lawn and Garden

Water is perhaps mankind's most precious commodity. Not only do we drink it to stay alive, we use it in the washing of dishes, in bathing, and in watering our plants and gardens. We even use it to feed the animals that rely on us. Since water appears to be all around us, it is easy to overuse and under appreciate. During summer months, depending on where you live, you may experience water restrictions placed by local utility companies. For dry areas such as the southwestern United States, conserving water is vital and these periods of limitation really make that clear.

In Denver, where I live, there are billboards urging citizens to use only what we need. During drought years, there are times where my community was only allowed to water yards on certain days of the week and for limited periods of time.

For those of us who enjoy gardening, not being allowed to water our plants as much as needed can be a bit frustrating. Fortunately, there are ways to cultivate an attractive garden without having to worry so much about watering. These gardens are called Xeriscapes. Wikipedia states that Xeriscaping "refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation."

In an article on Xeriscaping by David Beaulieu at landscaping.about.com, xeriscaping is said to have originated with the Denver Colorado Water Department in 1981. Much of Colorado is considered to be an arid desert and while the Rocky Mountains and continental divide provide meltwater a plenty, historically water has been shared with dry water-hungry Western states and locations such as Las Vegas.

"A compound of the Greek xeros, dry, and "-scape," as in landscape, "xeriscape" landscaping essentially refers to a creating a landscape design that has been carefully tailored to withstand drought conditions," Beaulieu writes. Xeriscaping can take many forms. For some, it simply means grouping plants with similar watering requirements in one area. Whatever form it takes, the purpose of xeriscaping isa lways the same; to reduce excessive water use by matching indigenous and imported plants with weather and soil conditions.

There's nothing quite like a lush green lawn but maintaining one can be problematic during long hot summer days. For this reason, many xeriscapes eliminate lawns all together favoring rocks, mulch and other materials such as recycled rubber or plastic. An added benefit is less mowing! Some property owners and gardeners simply switch to types of grass that require less water while others relegate the lawn area as an accent to the landscape rather than the dominating element.

So what kind of plants should go into your xeriscape? That largely depends on where you live. For people in the southwestern U.S., cacti may be the dominate plant. In areas that are not as desperate for water, xeriscapes may consist of shrubs, mulch, and reduced lawns.

According to eartheasy.com, there are 7 principles to xeriscaping. They include:

1. water conservation
2. soil improvement
3. limited turf areas
4. appropriate plants
5. mulch
6. irrigation
7. maintenance

When all of these elements work together, a xeriscape can not only look beautiful, but reduce over-watering. Go to http://eartheasy.com/grow_xeriscape.htm for more information.

So what are the advantages to xeriscaping? Besides the obvious being that it reduces over watering, it creates a less stressful gardening experience do to the fact that xeriscapes require less time in maintenance, especially if there is no lawn involved. As stated above, no lawn means no mowing means less time... means less gas... means less pollution... less asthma... less smell etc. etc. In addition, Xeriscape plants, according to Wikipedia, "in appropriate planting design, and soil grading and mulching, take full advantage of rainfall retention. When water restrictions are implemented, by municipality or water costs, xeriscaped plants will tend to survive and thrive, while more ornamental plants may be unable to adapt."

For more information about how to set up a xeriscape and what kind of plants to use, check out your local gardening center or check out the links below:

• Beginners Guide to Xeriscapes: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/xeriscapes
• Xeriscapes Unlimited: http://www.xeriscapes.com
• Xeriscaping Design: http://www.landscape-america.com/landscapes/xeriscaping/design.html