The last two summers have been much drier than usual. Other parts of the country have been dealing with lack of rain for years, but in the Midwest, with a few exceptions, we’ve had ample rain for the past several decades.
Xeriscaping is the term coined to describe a method of water conservation through creative landscaping. It comes from the Greek “xeros” meaning “dry,” and of course, landscaping. It does not mean a landscape of gravel and cactuses. Beauty is not sacrificed when a xeriscape landscape is in place. It does mean reducing water waste, improving the soil, using mulch to keep soil cool and moist, and choosing plants that don’t need pampering in the form of excess watering.
The xeriscape concept encourages grouping of plants with similar water needs together in beds so that they can be watered as needed with little water wasted. The use of beds also allows for installation of a drip irrigation system or use of a soaker hose. Both these methods result in water applied directly to the soil, reducing water consumption by up to 60% over sprinkler irrigation.
Mulching around plants plays an important role in the xeriscape garden. Mulch can reduce water demand by as much as 40% by keeping the soil cooler, eliminating weed competition and reducing evaporation from the soil surface.
Plants that tolerate dry conditions should be chosen. However, a plant labeled “drought tolerant” cannot just be stuck in the ground and left to its own devices. Such plants are drought tolerant only after they have become established. An annual flower may become established in a couple weeks, while a perennial takes a month or more depending on the soil conditions. Shrubs need extra water for the first season and trees should be well-watered for their first two years.
Even if you can’t embrace the xeriscape concept for your entire landscape, moving things around a bit or just making smart choices for new plantings can help conserve water.
Many of the plants you already have in your yard are appropriate for a xeriscape garden. Some common annuals that can do with little water include cosmos, moss rose, gomphrena or globe amaranth, salvia, nasturtium, dusty miller, alyssum, marigolds, calendula, cleome or spider plant, flowering tobacco and zinnia. Perennials include yarrow, asters, butterfly weed, harebells, gallardia, daylilies, irises, liatris, flax, evening primrose, Russian sage, Virginia creeper, penstemon, sage, columbine, wild indigo, coreopsis and purple coneflower. The list of drought tolerant trees and shrubs includes Amur maple, serviceberry, spirea, catalpa, hackberry, cotoneaster, green ash, Kentucky coffee tree, potentilla, chokecherry, burr oak, staghorn sumac and lilacs. In addition, most native prairie plants are drought tolerant and adapted to our area.
The list above is long, but nowhere near complete. A little research on the internet or at the library over the winter will have you well-prepared if 2007 is as dry as 2006
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