Alternative gardening: what is xeriscaping?

In places without a lot of water for gardens, xeriscaping offers an alternative. You can successfully garden with plants that survive and thrive without water with these tips.

Xeriscaping is the complete opposite of rain gardens, and can call for a complete change in attitude for someone moving from a water-rich region. Originating in Denver, Colorado, it's a way to conserve water for gardening in very dry areas, in places that do not have access to fresh water, or for regions where rainfall is limited to a certain period of the year.

• Although it may take more thought and time to implement than a conventional garden, it is easier to maintain, there is little or no mowing, and the water bill is smaller.
• The plants of choice for this garden are native plants that are adapted to the local region, together with summer-dormant bulbs, and other plants that are suited to arid conditions, like deep-rooted perennials and plants with thick or hairy leaves that use less water.
• Lawns are either minimized and made of drought-tolerant grass species, or are eliminated entirely.
• Even drought-resistant plants need water to get established and this is done through drip irrigation — individual sprinklers that trickle water directly to the plant, rather than covering the entire area.

Plants with similar water requirements are grouped together so that watering, when needed, is applied only to a limited area.

• Where area watering is needed, on a vegetable patch for example, it should be given in early morning or late afternoon when the evaporation rate is least.
• Even then the area should be carefully watched so that water is not wasted on paved areas or other places where it is not needed.

The soil should be improved by the addition of organic materials so it will hold more water but still be well-aerated.

• Soils in some regions tend to be alkaline and low in phosphorus. You can use a soil test, from a home kit, to find out the type of soil you're working with.
• Add bone meal or rock phosphate if the test results are low in phosphorus.
• Where possible, drought-tolerant trees and shrubs should be planted to block the prevailing wind and reduce evaporation from the soil.

You can stop soil from evaporating by covering all bare areas with a heavy mulch, which also helps limit soil temperature and smothers weed seedlings.

• Leaves, coarse compost, wood chips, shredded bark, pine needles, or coarse gravel are all suitable. You can use whatever is available locally.
• Organic mulches will slowly decompose and need renewing from time to time. Wood chips or bark may also deplete the nitrogen in the soil as they break down.
• If plants start to turn yellow, add a source of nitrogen like blood meal or fish meal.
• The layer of mulch also serves to hide the main irrigation pipes that feed the emitters for the individual plants.