Deriving from the Greek word of xeros meaning "dry," the term quite literally means "dry landscape." That doesn’t mean your yard will be crispy, brown and boring with no sparkles. Lots of green plants and colorful flowers can also be involved with xeriscaping.

 

Take a look here and dream about all the beautiful possibilities.

 

The BIG benefit: SAVING WATER=SAVING MONEY.

 

This sustainable form of landscaping conserves outdoor water use up to 50%, which also results in less overall maintenance. You’ll only need some weed-pulling and pruning here and there. Plus, you won’t need to think about buying any pesticides or fertilizers since regionally-specific native plants and drought-resistant plants are widely used. So, saving money here again.

 

Other great benefits to mention: The ecosystem will thank you. Using native plants will hugely support your local three B’s -birds, bees, butterflies. Xeriscaping is known to also increase your property value, as the low maintenance and minimal water usage is a huge selling point.

Digging deeper: Mulching and drip irrigation is a large part of the xeriscaping concept strategy. Adding a protective layer of mulch on top of your soil not only insulates the soil from hot/cold temperatures, but it also helps retain moisture in the soil to help your plants stay happy (and your wallet happy).

 

Mulch can consist of various organic materials such as bark, pine needles, wood chips, and straw, along with non-organic materials such as river rock, pebbles or recycled tires. This also reduces weed growth. If sunlight can’t get to the soil due to the barrier of mulch, weeds can’t grow.

 

Drip irrigation is a direct watering method that transports water through plastic tubes with a low flow and low pressure to the root of the plants. It has a 90% watering efficiency compared to traditional water sprinklers, meaning less water loss from sun and wind evaporation.