What Is Xeriscaping (And How Can It Save You Time And Money)?

If you’re looking for a low-maintenance, water conserving alternative to gardens and lawn care, then you should consider xeriscaping. It is a great way to enjoy the beauty of well-manicured landscaping without all of the back-aching, time-consuming effort required for upkeep.

What Is Xeriscaping?

The beauty of xeriscaping is in its name: “Xeros” is a Greek term meaning “dry” or “containing little moisture.” It is a low-maintenance and water-wise method of landscaping that is perfect for arid desert conditions (much like Utah) as well as for people who are looking for a less-strenuous form of gardening.

Not only is it mostly drought resistant, but it is also a great way to save yourself money on water usage as it requires significantly less moisture to keep up on. In other words, xeriscaping conserves water while remaining attractive. In fact, xeriscaping has the potential to improve your home’s value by as much as 10-12%.

There are 7 principles to successful Xeriscaping that, if followed, help you aim for success in your landscaping project:

• Good Design and Planning
• Choice of Soil
• Wisely Using Grass
• Grouping Plants Based on Their Need for Water
• Use of Irrigation
• Mulch for Moisture
• Maintenance

Let’s go more in-depth to each of these principles.

The 7 Principles Of Xeriscaping

1. Good Design And Planning

When it comes to xeriscaping, planning ahead is the way to go. Get the lay of the land, plot out which plants should go where based on which areas will get the most water. Budget it out, consider how many of whatever materials you want to use, and overall how you want the landscape to look.

2. Choice Of Soil

Xeriscaping requires low-water, not no water. That is why your choice of soil is very important to the longevity of your project.

Higher-quality soils effectively capture the moisture needed to keep your plants happy and healthy. The best kinds of soils for retaining moisture are those that contain high levels of clay, silt, or sand. A loamy soil is ideal for xeriscaping and Haul-4-U offers a great selection of high quality sandy loam soil.

3. Wisely Using Grass

Contrary to popular belief, xeriscaping does not require you to completely take out your lawn. In fact, some amazing xeriscaping styles can be achieved by utilizing grass to your advantage.

Keeping sections lawn as part of your xeriscape can not only help add beauty to your yard, but it can also provide a place for kids to play and a comfortable area for you to walk.

To make the best use of your turf, simply find the areas of your lawn that aren’t serving much of a purpose anymore, the places that are requiring too much water for upkeep. These are the patches of grass that will be more cost-effective in the long term to remove and replace with xeriscaping plants.

(Pro-tip: some xeriscapers plant clover among their grass, which offers many benefits: it self-fertilizes and traps moisture, meaning that the grass will require less watering; It also suppresses other weeds from growing, which will save you time maintaining the yard; Among all that, it is also known for being popular among pollinators, which is great for the environment as well as helps your plantlife thrive.)

4. Grouping Plants Based On Their Need For Water

When deciding which plans to have as part of your xeriscape, it’s important to see how much water they need in order to remain healthy. Using plants native to your region are not only easier to obtain, but also will be more suited to your climate.

It is easy to find catalogs that map Utah plants and how they hold up to drought, sun, and whether they’re deciduous or evergreen. Grouping together plants that have similar needs can cut down on the maintenance required by not forcing you to constantly make adjustments.

5. Use Of Irrigation

Xeriscaping enables you to more efficiently and effectively water your plants and keep them thriving. In the case of drought-tolerant plants, you want to water down to the roots, made possible by loamy soil, which retains water very well.

After all, like we said earlier, xeriscaping is a low-water landscape, not a no-water one. But adjusting your sprinkler system in order to focus specifically on the areas that will actually need water is going to save you more money in the long run than if you were to do nothing at all.

6. Mulch For Moisture

A great way to be water-efficient is by using mulch, which traps water and helps to feed your plants while still remaining pleasing to the eye. With bark mulch, you want no more than 3 inches, since too much limits airflow which can be detrimental to your plants. With bark mulch, you do not want to use fabric underneath, as that will hold back lots of the beneficial aspects of the mulch breaking down into the soil below.

You can also use landscaping rock in the place of mulch. Aside from adding to the eye-appeal of your lawn, it will also traps moisture by not leaving open land for the water to evaporate. With rock, however, you certainly want to use fabric in order to keep the rocks from mixing into the soil.

You can browse Haul-4-U’s selection of bark mulch and landscaping rocks to find the kind that you want to beautify your yard and help nurture your plants.

7. Maintenance

One of the main advantages of xeric landscaping is how little maintenance is required to keep it running beautifully.

Some plants, but not all, require pruning in order to bloom more brightly, leaves that pile up in the fall will need to be raked, and the occasional weed will have to be pulled.

But xeriscaping is true to its title as a low-maintenance form of landscaping that will save you money, effort, and time that will be better spent with those you love.

Start Xeriscaping With Haul-4-U

If you’re ready to switch to a more water-wise form of landscaping, then Haul-4-U is there to help you. Browse our wide selection of landscaping materials, including soil, mulch, landscaping rocks, and more! When you’ve decide what you want, simply schedule a time for one of our haulers to deliver the material to you.