An alternative to common landscaping practices is xeriscaping. Xeriscaping,
which translates to “dry scape” often make people think of a yard with only
rocks, mulch, trees and no grass … rather like a desert. Not so… this method of gardening uses water efficiently, is environmentally friendly and as a result there is
less maintenance and costs, leaving more time for you to enjoy your beautiful yard.
The best way to implement these techniques are in the planning stage
when a designer can incorporate planting beds, chose plant material for
selection and size, plan for the size and shape of lawns, and automated irrigation, if desired.
Some of these techniques are described below.
Increase
the number of planting beds for trees, shrubs and flowers. Planting beds allows you to place plants
together that have similar water requirements, eliminating the need to water
parts of the bed more often than others and letting you utilize irrigation
systems. If you terrace the sharp slopes
of the yard into beds, you can increase variety in the landscape and reduce
water runoff.
Add
mulch in the perennial planting beds and around trees. This prevents the loss of moisture,
discourages weed seeds from germinating, and compliments the plantings with
color and texture. Mulch can be
inorganic, such as gravel or shale (this works best when placed over a
landscape fabric), or of organic origin, such as wood chips or pine cones. Organic mulch decomposes over time, and will
need to be replaced, but this adds nutrients and texture to the soil; whereas
inorganic mulch lasts longer but is more costly.
Select
plants that are more suited to drier growing conditions. There are many wonderful choices of annuals,
perennials and trees that are drought resistant. These can be planted in hot, dry locations
that minimize the need for frequent watering. You can also utilize native plants such as
potentilla, which are naturally less thirsty.
Improve
the soil conditions of your lawn area and planting beds. This can be done by adding organic matter,
such as peat, to increase water holding capacities and provide better aeration
for plants roots.
Reduce
the size of your lawn. Everyone enjoys
the cool, inviting appeal of a lawn, but you don’t need to have huge areas of
it; the same effect can be achieved with a much smaller area. Ways to reduce the lawn size are by replacing
sections of it with ornamental grasses; planting beds; low growing, walkable, perennial
ground covers such as thyme, stonecrop or mosses; or hardscapes such as decks
or patios.
Mow
the grass blade to a height of 3 inches. Instead of having a manicured lawn of 1 or 2
inches, this longer length allows the soil and the grass to stay cool. Weeds will have a more difficult time establishing
themselves, lessening the use of herbicides. If you only cut off 1/3 of the blade each time
you mow, there is less stress to the roots and these fine clippings can be left
on the lawn to add nitrogen. This
practice reduces the need for fertilizers, which are costly, take time to apply
and can lead to polluted runoff.
Water
the grass less frequently, but for longer periods. This encourages deeper root growth, therefore
enabling it to better survive dry spells. By designing your lawn shape and size to the
configuration of your irrigation system ensures that only the grass is watered, not the sidewalk or
the driveway.
Put
a timer on your irrigation systems. A timer
on a soaker hose or drip system allows water to be applied at the time of day
that is most beneficial to plants, usually early morning. The soil and roots can absorb the moisture
before the heat of the day evaporates it and this is the time of day when the
demand on the water system is at its lowest. There is also less chance of
disease as many organisms thrive in moist, cool surroundings- conditions that
evening watering encourages.
Plan
ahead for the correct choice and location of trees and shrubs, taking into
consideration what their mature size will be. Shrubs should not be invading the sidewalk,
nor should you be continually trimming a tree to keep it 5 feet tall when it
would naturally like to grow to be 12 feet tall. Pruning can leave wound sites that attract
insects and diseases, often leading to the use of pesticides. Another way to deter insects is to water the
trees and shrubs less often but more deeply. This discourages a lot of new growth that
insects love to eat.
Designing
your yard for the future will provide you with many benefits. You will have a beautifully landscaped yard,
more time to enjoy it and have the opportunity to make some wise environmental
choices.
References-
1. Editors of Time- life Books (1995)
Low Maintenance Gardening. U.S.A. Time – Life Inc.
2. Williams,S. (1997)
Creating the Prairie Xeriscape. Canada
