By- Zoe Wu
The word xero means dry in latin and scape means landscape. Xeriscaping is an official landscaping technique for areas prone to droughts. You have probably seen some of these in the front yards of some houses. The goal of this technique is to minimize the amount of water needed to maintain the yard and put it to better use as drinking water during drought season.
People who use this technique not only save the environment but also save their money. With less water being used to water their yards, people who xeriscape have seen a reduction of fifty to seventy percent of their water bill. They also have seen a reduction of about twenty-six percent in labor efforts because their new yards require less maintenance. Although the cost to make a yard with this technique is costly at first, the reduced water and maintenance fees show the long term benefits outweigh the initial costs.
Plants that do not require much water, called xeric plants, can be just as aesthetically pleasing as regular plants. Most laws using the xeriscaping technique use a layout using three zones. Each zone will contain plants that have similar water needs, to increase efficiency when watering the plants. The first zone, referred to as the Oasis Zone, will contain more water-intensive plants. This zone is usually placed in the view of the people in the interior of the house. The Transition Zone is the second zone and contains more water-wise xeric plants. This zone is usually placed near walkways or driveways where most people who view the yard from the outside can see. The final zone is the Xeric Zone and contains only xeric plants. This zone is usually placed on the outskirts of the property where not many can view. Xeric plants should be placed in the south or west side of the property, and the more water intensive plants should be placed in the north or east side of the property for maximum efficiency.
To irrigate efficiently, water the plants deeply and less frequently. This will encourage deep root growth, which leads to more stable plants. Xeriscaping does not have to be used in only drought prone areas, it can be used anywhere to increase efficiency of water usage. Remember, there is no need to "zeroscape" with the abundant plant options to make a beautiful xeriscape.
Do you think xeriscaping would be beneficial in Texas? How can you increase efficiency of your water usage? What changes can you make to your lawn to increase water efficiency?
People who use this technique not only save the environment but also save their money. With less water being used to water their yards, people who xeriscape have seen a reduction of fifty to seventy percent of their water bill. They also have seen a reduction of about twenty-six percent in labor efforts because their new yards require less maintenance. Although the cost to make a yard with this technique is costly at first, the reduced water and maintenance fees show the long term benefits outweigh the initial costs.
Plants that do not require much water, called xeric plants, can be just as aesthetically pleasing as regular plants. Most laws using the xeriscaping technique use a layout using three zones. Each zone will contain plants that have similar water needs, to increase efficiency when watering the plants. The first zone, referred to as the Oasis Zone, will contain more water-intensive plants. This zone is usually placed in the view of the people in the interior of the house. The Transition Zone is the second zone and contains more water-wise xeric plants. This zone is usually placed near walkways or driveways where most people who view the yard from the outside can see. The final zone is the Xeric Zone and contains only xeric plants. This zone is usually placed on the outskirts of the property where not many can view. Xeric plants should be placed in the south or west side of the property, and the more water intensive plants should be placed in the north or east side of the property for maximum efficiency.
To irrigate efficiently, water the plants deeply and less frequently. This will encourage deep root growth, which leads to more stable plants. Xeriscaping does not have to be used in only drought prone areas, it can be used anywhere to increase efficiency of water usage. Remember, there is no need to "zeroscape" with the abundant plant options to make a beautiful xeriscape.
Do you think xeriscaping would be beneficial in Texas? How can you increase efficiency of your water usage? What changes can you make to your lawn to increase water efficiency?
Sources
Beaulieu, David. “This Is What to Expect With Xeriscape Landscaping.” The Spruce, The Spruce, 15 July 2019, www.thespruce.com/xeriscape-landscaping-meaning-2131129.
National Geographic Society. “Xeriscaping.” National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/xeriscaping/.
Rodomsky-Bish, Becca. “The Seven Principles of Xeriscape.” Habitat Network, 20 Oct. 2015, content.yardmap.org/learn/the-seven-principles-of-xeriscape/.
16 comments:
Wow interesting topic! I have honestly never hear of xeriscaping before, so this article was really interesting! I think xeriscaping would be beneficial in some parts of Texas that have hot, dry weather and are prone to droughts. I can increase efficiency of water usage by turning off our automatic sprinklers after rainshowers.
Xeriscaping is a topic I’ve heard of but I hadn’t really delved into the subject before. I love that you even delved into the meaning of the word itself ! I feel that xeriscaping is an easy way for any individual to help protect the environment. Like Lana, I believe that xeriscaping will be beneficial in Texas because of its hot, dry climate. Thus, the inclusion of xeriscaping in Texas lawns and gardens would definitely decrease unnecessary water usage.
I remember Mrs. Westbrook touching on xeriscaping but now I have learned a lot more from your blog! This process can help the environment in numerous amounts of ways because our nature is being destroyed each and everyday. Xeriscaping can be very beneficial to hot and dry climates, so I think Texas should be using a lot more of these! The amount of vegetation we can grow using these small gardens will help so much in the long run of our planet!
I have never heard of Xeriscaping and it’s so interesting! I love how it’s beneficial during hot and cool climates. It would be great to have so much more vegetation!
You guys have talked about this in class a couple of times and I had no idea what in the world you guys were talking about. It seems to be a very beneficial technique for the environment. This would be great for yards in Texas. Very interesting Read!!!!
This is so interesting! Unfortunately, many people in Texas focus on having a green lawn, which takes a lot of water and effort in the heat of Texas. I think shifting to xeriscaping is more effective as it allows for people to have beautiful lawns without the high water intake. If communities work together and enforce these rules, we would see a dramatic decrease in water intake.
I have never heard of xeriscaping in my life until reading this blog. It seems to me that there are many advantages to this and it would be great to adopt it everywhere, including Texas. The amount of money and water one will save is significant. I found this blog very interesting!
Great article, Zoe! Xeriscaping would be useful in dry areas where there is less rain. I also think that xeriscaping would be helpful in places like Texas. It is very advantageous for people to start planting these in their yards since it saves water and also reduces their expense in maintaining them.
Xeriscaping would be very beneficial in Texas due to the warm, and dry climate. It is a way to have an environmentally friendly yard or driveway without it being a complete eyesore (which would likely keep the HOA very happy). It is definitely something to consider if you live in the Southwest and want to save up on water.
Xeriscaping has been popular out west but hasn’t fully been brought into action here in Texas. Though it isn’t as eye appealing as some of our yards now, xeriscaping would be much more efficient in the long run. Water, landscaping materials, and many other resources would be saved by switching to this technique.
Xeriscaping is so beneficial and the faster everyone learns it the better our environment will be.I knew a little about xeriscaping bbut after reading your informative blog I know so much more!
What a great post! Thanks for sharing! Xeriscaping would definitely be beneficial in Texas being that Texas sees many long periods of drought due to our naturally dry climate. Xeriscaping could ensure water is not lost in lawn care and instead utilized for more important things such as drinking water. It would also provide lawns with plants that will remain pretty and survive and even thrive well in the Texas heat.
Thank you so much for highlighting such an interesting and water saving practice. I think that Xeriscaping would be so helpful for so many areas, highlighting the use of native plants and also helping communities be better equipped for handling draughts. For example, in California where often water for personal use is capped, a Xeriscaped war would be ideal, but because of societal standards developed in the eastern parts of the united states many still opt for a full grass lawn which requires an abundance of water. I think the biggest hurtle to Xeriscaped neighborhoods is the presence of the HOA or homeowners associations. Many HOAs are operated by some of the older members of the community and therefore have rather old ideas of what an ideal neighborhood should look like. For instance, in my neighborhood, grass is required in the front lawn to keep a cohesive look. However, if more environmentally conscious people voiced their opinions and pushed for more water saving practices, real change could come to the United States in this simple and aesthetically masterful landscaping style. Again, thank you for a wonderful article.
Although xeriscaping may not be as aesthetically pleasing, it is extremely useful in hot climates. For example, in Texas, this method prevents water from being wasted. It’d be a good idea to start implementing this more.
Great blog post! With all the blogs about negativity in the environment, it is nice to read about the positive too. While I have heard the term xeriscape before, I never really knew the in depth definition and I really didn’t know all its positive effects that it has on the environment. Maybe in the near future we will start to see more xeriscaping here in Texas!
Wow, this was such an interesting blog! I have never really knew about what xeriscape games was and how it affects the environment. I learned that even though it is aesthetically pleasing it can also positively affect the the ecosystem by helping dry, hot places such as states like Texas or California. since it is more beneficial there needs to more advocacy towards this idea so more ad more people can do this. i believe that this is the new future of landscaping.
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