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If you live in an area where drought is common or plan to reduce your landscape's water needs, consider switching to xeriscaping. In its simplest form, this gardening method is water efficient and requires little or no supplemental water. Adopting this system means less work for you: Garden styles typically include drought-tolerant and low-maintenance plants.
Related: How to Create a Gravel Garden, an Eco-Friendly Landscaping System That Requires Minimal Water
What is xeriscape?
Xeriscaped landscapes rely on what the natural climate provides for vegetation, meaning that once established, they do not need additional water other than rainfall. Creating this type of garden can be done in a number of ways and may look different depending on where you live. "A cherry blossom in Southern California can often look very desert with agaves, cacti and gravel," says Roger Davis, Longwood Gardens' East Division Outdoor Curator. "East Coast xeriscaping can look like a traditional succulent garden using drought-tolerant plants."
That said, there are many ways to view your garden. Check out the tips below and consider implementing the ones that fit your growing area and garden aesthetic.
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Add drought-tolerant perennials
Native plants are often the plants of choice for shallow gardens because they are naturally drought tolerant. Pale purple cabbage flower (Echinacea Pallida ), black-eyed Susan ( Rudbeckia Hirta), October sky (Aster oblongifolium) and oriental lemon balm (Monarda Bradburiana) are examples of perennial herbs that are ideal for xeriscapes.
Make a gravel garden
A rock garden or gravel garden is a special type of landscape where mostly native plants grow in soil covered with clean, clear gravel. The garden style is designed to require no supplemental watering, soil amendment, mulching or weeding.
"Traditionally, lawns have provided an important element of the garden's negative space, a place to rest the eye on the landscape and appreciate the garden's structure," says Holly Kuljian, principal landscape architect at Pine House Edible Gardens. Using gravel is an effective way to recreate this negative space more permanently.
Try Mediterranean plants
In Italy, France, Spain and other parts of Europe, native Mediterranean plants add great interest to the landscape. Drought-tolerant plants like full sun and moderately dry, well-drained soil, making them excellent choices for such low-water systems.
Olive trees, rosemary, lavender and Greek oregano are examples of Mediterranean plants that grow in xeriscapes. "It's not just shallow water, it's edible," Kuljian said. "Other edible plants at the lower end of the spectrum include dragon fruit, artichokes, figs, pomegranates, pineapples, guavas, capers and thistles."
Use cobbler
Walkways are an essential part of any garden and can also be incorporated into landscaped areas. "The integration of xeriscaping with natural materials to create seating, edging and paths is consistent and can be topped with crushed stone to increase landscape permeability," says Jeff Lorenz, founder of Refugia.
When installing pavers, you want to create a permeable hardscape that can help drain water. "Using gravel for paths and walkways or placing long steps over gravel reduces the landscape's ability to slow, disperse and absorb rainwater back into the watershed, thereby renewing valuable resources," explains Lorenz.
Thick vegetation
Add color and texture to your landscape with succulents. "Succulents make perfect edging plants in mild climates because they provide year-round interest and are generally very low maintenance," says Kuljian.
If you're looking for inspiration, choose one of the most popular and easiest to grow xeriscape plants: chickens and chicks. "They form a tight rosette, but they continue to develop new plants," said Adrienne R. Roethling, director of mission care and delivery at the Paul J. Sina Botanical Garden. Plant them on the surface, remove the top layer of soil and place it under the roots.
Add mulch
Mulch is used in many garden systems, including xeriscapes, because it helps suppress weeds and retain soil moisture. "Adding mulch to your garden helps reduce evaporation, allowing water to be absorbed into the soil for healthy roots and soil life," says Rothling.
The type of mulch you use will be determined by your climate and the type of plants you grow. "A Mediterranean garden would use a ground cover and have blue and silver foliage in the plantings," says Davis. "Gravel mulching is a popular option because it keeps plant tissue dry over the winter, while wood mulch traps moisture and causes plant tissue to rot."
Use ground cover
Grass alternatives are becoming more and more popular because they are a low maintenance and long lasting alternative to traditional grass. This is where ground cover comes in: mat-forming plants suppress weeds, control erosion, fill confined spaces and are low maintenance. "Ground covers such as Diamondia margaretta or Lipia repens are good substitutes for grass," says Kuljian . "They can move on foot and need much less water."
Garden with potted plants
Add variety to your landscape by displaying potted plants. Container plants generally require more water than plants grown in the ground because the soil dries out faster, but drought-tolerant plants like agaves offer a solution. Agave, a superstar in the xeriscape, is grown as a container plant; It does not need much space for growth and has a shallow root system.
Plant grass without cuttings
Replace existing grass with a mowed, drought-tolerant alternative. Not only does this eliminate the need for traditional lawn maintenance such as mowing and edging, it also helps conserve water. "Carex texensis mixed with fine fescue provides a native, drought-resistant alternative to a traditional grass that only needs one annual winter haircut," says Lorenz.
Other cut grasses, also known as green fescue, include creeping red fescue, stocking fescue and hard fescue custom mix, which are mostly perennials and tolerate light foot traffic. "Perennial relatives such as Carex pennsylvania or Carex sourdough will colonize quickly and require more than one [cut per year]," says Lorenz.
Plant bulbs
Although bulbs are often seen in traditional perennial gardens, many species are hardy enough to withstand the harsh growing conditions of xeriscape landscapes. Standard daffodils, tulip varieties and allium cultivars prefer full sun and average dry, well-drained soil, so they are ideal for xeriscapes.
In addition to being a good candidate for this garden arrangement, bulbs are an attractive way to add color to your landscape and often attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
