Xeriscaping - What is Xeriscaping?

It's that time of the year for everyone to start heading outside and testing their greenthumb.

Here is a way that you can be green and green at the same time. It is called Xeriscaping.

What is Xeriscaping?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Xeriscaping and xerogardening refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental irrigation. It is promoted in areas that do not have easily accessible supplies of fresh water, and is catching on in other areas as climate patterns shift. 

Or, in some areas, terms such as water-conserving landscapes, drought-tolerant landscaping, zeroscaping and smart scaping are used instead.

With the dry climate we are having, everyone wanting to save money as well as time can get acces to pros and cons to having a green landscape

Advantages:

• Lower water bills
• More water available for other uses and other people (such as showers, sinks, hoses etc.)
• Less time and work needed for maintenance, making gardening more simple and stress-free
• Little or no lawnmowing (saves energy)
• Xeriscape plants along with proper bed design tends to take full advantage of rainfall
• When water restrictions are implemented, xeriscape plants will tend to survive, while more traditional plants may be unable to adapt.

Disadvantages:

• May require more start-up work to prepare beds for planting than simply laying sod

• Some homeowners' associations may object to non-traditional plants.

• Requires that people moving from water-abundant to water-scarce areas change their mindset as to what types of plants they are able to practically and economically maintain
• Xeriscape beds require periodic maintenance which is more involved than simply mowing and edging, especially to maintain color
• Weeds and trash may also be more of a problem than in a traditional lawn.