As communities nationally are faced with increased demands on existing water supplies, everyone from environmentalists to city officials are pushing a new form of landscaping: xeriscaping.
Derived from the Greek word xeros, meaning dry, combined with landscaping, the method uses drought-resistant plants to conserve water in an attractive setting. Xeriscaping includes a wide variety of water-wise plants that require low pruning and maintenance.
According to the nonprofit group Xeriscape Colorado!, the average homeowner uses about 50 percent of their residential water on landscaping and yard care. And in water-hungry Utah, one of the driest states in the nation, the creative approach to water-saving landscaping is becoming increasingly popular.
"It definitely makes sense in Utah's hot and dry environment," said Mandy Self, education director at Red Butte Garden. "Even though we had a lot of rain and snow this winter, we do live in a high desert, and water will always be an issue for us."
In addition to saving water, time and money, xeric gardens require minimal pesticide and fertilization.
"People are realizing they don't want to maintain it," said Angela Dean, owner of AMD Architecture in Salt Lake. "They don't need the maintenance and pesticide use. It just reflects an environmentally friendly attitude."
Dean, whose firm specializes in environmentally sustainable architecture, said it is no longer rare to drive around the Salt Lake area and see xeric gardens.
"It's beautiful. It just shows there's more thought and design and care put into these types of homes and landscapes," she said. "Really, there are so many benefits. It's smart design. You are thinking things through and getting the best value for what you're doing."
Through proper planning and design, xeriscaping might be one of the best investments a homeowner could make. And according to water conservancy and gardening experts, xeriscaping is a do-it-yourself project.
Step 1: Design
Landscape is an investment in your property — an attractive xeriscape could boost property values by as much as 15 percent, Xeriscape Colorado! says.
"You need to start with a plan of attack," Self said. "Water-wise landscapes can look harsh if you don't plan correctly."
Since most xeric plants are coming from areas with hot, full sun, they need at least six hours of full sunlight a day. It is important to measure how much light or shade different areas of a garden receive. Shade and slopes should be taken into account to form zones for plants that are different in color, texture, bloom time, size and even water use and light exposure.
"People need to consider how much lawn they really need," Self said. "A lawn is great for taking off your shoes and going barefoot."
Self said future xeric gardeners must judge how much lawn they want. Whether planting a traditional lawn that needs to be watered every three to four days or using an alternative xeric turf, people should consider their lawn size. Children or animals can often contribute to a bigger lawn.
"A lawn used in small amounts really aesthetically shows off a garden," she said.
David Rice, conservation programs coordinator and manager of the Demonstration Gardens at the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, said constantly watering a lawn that is never used is a waste of water and time. A xeric garden is a better option for people who do not use their lawn much.
"We're not promoting that everyone gets rid of all their plant material and turns to desert turf," Rice said. "That's not what water wise is about."
What water wise is about, he said, is reducing waste — reducing water use, reducing landfill space and reducing maintenance time.
Another factor to consider is the aesthetics of the garden. Self said different heights attribute to a better looking garden. By adding trees, shrubs, rocks or artwork, the diversity turns a flat, one-dimensional garden into an attractive paradise.
Step 2: Plant choice
One of the biggest myths of xeriscaping is that xeric plants are colorless and utilize a lot of rocks and gravel, Self said. But whether designing a western desert or a mountain meadow, xeric plants provide a diverse range of options.
"The more diversity you have, the better," Self said, adding that plant choice is just as important as design. "And the palette's pretty broad. Huge, actually."
Pink penstemon, woods or rock rose, daffodils, iris, lilacs, camassia and Jupiter's Beard are diverse and colorful xeric flowers.
Another popular plant choice is using native plants that are adapted to the local regional climate. According to the Utah Native Plant Society, Utah is home to approximately 275 rare plant species. Twenty-four are federally listed as endangered. Some of Utah's native plants include Wasatch, Palmer's or firecracker penstemon, Utah lady finger, Desert Four O'Clock, Prince's Plume and shrubs cliff rose, green Mormon tea, Rocky Mountain juniper, rabbit brush and Apache plume.
Self said herbs are another excellent xeric planting option, especially to use as ground cover between plants and rocks. Although herbs like thyme, oregano, basil and cilantro are primarily green, herbs like lavender and sage provide more color.
Other plants, like yarrow, catmint, gaura, gayfeather, bluebeard, hummingbird brush, butterfly brush and penstemon will attract butterflies and humming birds to the garden.
And planting shrubs and trees like mountain mahogany, fernbrush, goldenrain tree, bigtooth maple and many pine trees can add shade and height to a xeriscape.
Step 3: Prepare soil
"With a lot of drought tolerant plants, probably the No. 1 killer is wet soil," Self said.
Self recommends testing the soil to determine whether or not it drains well. If the soil has a lot of moisture, products like Utelight, made with lightweight aggregate, can solve drainage problems by mixing it into the soil. If the soil is too dry, using mulch or compost on the soil's surface can retain moisture and prevent weeds.
Soil will usually not have to be treated if the xeric plants are native, Rice said.
"Native plants are traditionally adapted to the soil that is here, so they will do well without any amendment," he said.
However, the plants should be native to the area being planted. Native plants in Utah are different in the mountains, on the bench and near the lake.
The best thing to do to treat any type of soil, Rice said, is to add organic material. Using mulch or compost can increase nutrients in the soil, increase drainage and increase water retention.
"Organic matter is a good remedy for everything," he said.
Rice also notes that soil takes time to build up. Using organic material like grass clippings and mixing it into the soil weeks before planting begins will help treat the soil to a suitable condition.
Step 4: Water efficiently
After the soil is prepared and the plants are in the ground, regular watering will be needed until roots establish.
"Water wise means common sense to your planting and not watering everything the same," Self said. "Just because it's a drought-tolerant plant doesn't mean it doesn't need water. Even things that are very drought tolerant still need water."
Once plants are in the ground, Self says for the first week, xeric plants need watering every two to three days. She recommends hand watering to make sure water gets to the roots. For the next couple of weeks, Self says to water only twice a week. And after about a month, water use can be cut back and an irrigation system like sprinklers can be used. Depending on how healthy and green the plants look, watering can be done merely once a week or every other week.
Self said it takes about two to three years for plants to fully establish roots and for a garden to get to the point where it only needs to be watered about once a month. Depending on the plants, Rice said it could take just a year for roots to establish.
"Over the long term, you can recoup some of that initial cost in water savings and maintenance savings," he said. "It's the right thing to do right now."
Combining xeric plants with plants that require more water can be done if water use is monitored. Watering deeply and less often, like hand watering or installing a proper irrigation system, is the best method of cutting back water use with any landscape. And watering early in the morning or later in the evening rather than in the middle of the day will prevent water from evaporating quickly.
Step 5: Maintain and enjoy
Luckily, few xeric plants need attention during the colder, winter months. But occasionally throughout the year, plants might need to be sheared to continue blooming.
"No matter what you have, there will always be maintenance," Rice said. "But maintenance will be reduced."
Rice said that as long as weeds are pulled regularly to avoid a "nightmare weed problem," a xeric garden can easily be kept under control.
"If you plant it just right, you're going to have something in flower every stage of the season," Rice said.
And can people enjoy a xeric garden the same as a water-heavy one? "Absolutely," Rice said.
"If there's a misconception and people don't really understand what it is intended to look like, come see water-wise gardens," he said. "A lot of these landscapes look very traditional. They have a very traditional look but they can save half the water they've been previously using."
As for converting to a xeric garden for the first time, Rice and Self recommend researching xeriscaping and visiting nurseries or gardens for ideas. Another tip for beginners is to start small, like xeriscaping a section of the lawn, side yard or parking strip.
Utah offers many resources for aspiring xeric gardeners. Information on classes and visiting times at Red Butte Garden can be found at www.redbuttegarden.org. From May to August, the gardens are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors.
The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District gardens are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily from May to October. The gardens are free and Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District sponsors free gardening classes. For more information, visit www.jvwcd.org.
On June 11 and 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the nonprofit group People Helping People will be hosting an Avenues Garden Tour featuring landscape and xeriscape designers. The tour highlights water-wise gardening and will raise funds for the group, which helps low-income mothers. For more information or to purchase a $15 ticket, visit www.mentors4women.org.
There are other helpful resources on xeriscaping:
Center for Water-Efficient Landscaping: www.hort.usu.edu
Utah Native Plant Society: www.unps.org
Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District "Slow the Flow" program: www.slowtheflow.org
Utah Rivers Council "Rip the Strip" program: www.ripyourstrip.com
Recycle Utah: www.recycleutah.org