Repair & Improve

A Growing Movement Towards Low-water Planting

by Tom Kraeutler

Xeriscape is a way of making an attractive, sustainable landscape that conserves water.

Colorado Springs Utilities have a large demonstration garden at their headquarters which features low-water trees, vines, shrubs, flowers and cacti. The garden is open to the public, but if you don’t live locally, visit www.csu.org/xeri to see pictures of the garden and find a wealth of information on how to create your own Xeriscape.

Xeriscape is based around seven basic horticultural principles which will help to conserve water while giving  you something more than hens and chicks to look at.   The seven principles are:

1. Plan and design: Keep like water need plants together. Take into account the existing vegetation and topography of the site and the intended use. Eliminate the possibility of runoff. Decide where things will be. Decide when things will be done. Most landscapes are best done in phases.
2. Evaluate soil and improve if necessary: Soils can vary within a given site; an analysis based on random sampling can provide information for plant selection and soil amendments which help soil absorb and store water. When appropriate, soil amendments such as spaghnum peat moss or compost can improve root development, water penetration and retention. Improve soil before planting and installing irrigation systems.
3. Create practical turf areas: The type and location of turf areas should be considered a design element rather than the whole landscape which will mean decreasing the size of your lawn. Reducing or eliminating turf areas, and locating them separately so that they may be watered more efficiently, can result in significant reductions in water use.
4. Use appropriate plants: Most plants have a place in Xeriscape but plant selection should be based on the intended use in the landscape and on how they will adapt to your area. Use of plants with low water needs will allow the maximum water conservation.
5. Use efficient and properly designed irrigation systems: Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation. Irrigation needs change with the season and the weather. Irrigate according to the condition of the plants, rather than on a fixed schedule. Plants may require supplemental irrigation until they become established (two or three years).
6. Use organic mulches to reduce evaporation: Mulches minimize evaporation, reduce weed growth, slow erosion and help prevent soil temperature fluctuations. The use of mulches, applied and maintained to proper depth, is one of the keys to a successful Xeriscape. Organic mulches such as wood chips or bark are best. Do not use any solid plastic under the mulch or elsewhere in the landscape.
7. Do appropriate maintenance: Properly pruned, weeded and fertilized plants need less water but also look nicer and produce better. A landscape adapted to the environment will require less maintenance, less fertilizer and reduce the use of pesticides and other chemicals.

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