So far, I have discussed with you practical solutions as well as proper planning and design of your Xeriscape. The most exciting and perhaps stressful part of this process is choosing the proper plant material…wow, the $10K question!  I always recommend that prior to producing the landscape plan, you should do your due diligence with regards to plant material.  You first need to decide structure, color, and form protocols that you will maintain throughout your design.

Make a list…decide what color schemes you want to incorporate.  Always have a few back-ups in case you cannot find a suitable color that works for you region.  You know your colors, now keep in mind what size and shape you want plant material to be or become.  Here is a big problem that many designers ignore…how large is the plant, tree, or bush going to get in 5 years…10 years…?   I cannot count how many times I have seen yards that were completely overgrown.  I must confess…early in my career I made the same mistake.  I never had any complaints, but it was something I thought of as time went along and corrected that design flaw.  From then on, I made it a point to always think in terms of growth patterns. I even had clients occasionally question why I purposely left a certain area of the garden more open, until I explained to them what the particular plant would do withing 3-5 years.

A good idea is to purchase a couple of good Xeriscape books on different types of plant material.  There are a number of good ones in the market, but one that I have had for many years is: Xeriscape Plant Guide: 100 Water-Wise Plants for Gardens and Landscapes. This is available for purchase on Amazon.com. Amazon.com has other very good books loaded with valuable information on Xeriscape design as well as other types of landscape design.  Just go to Amazon.com. When you access this area, you can do a search for Xeriscape plant guides and you will find a number of great books loaded with pictures and information.

There are a number of plant types to keep in mind that can be incorporated into a fantastic Xeriscape design. Some of these include:

*Grasses

*Vines & Ground-covers

*Shrubs

*Trees

*Water-Saving Native Plants

Other elements of the softscape design that make a dramatic difference include, placing strategically, pots and urns filled with seasonal color. These really brighten up the look of the yard.  You can even include the pots and urns without any plant material…make them into more of a work of art.  Granite boulders are also an integral part of the softscape design, even though they are a hardscape element. They dramatically enhance form and texture.

A very popular option that creates an amazing “green” effect year around is the use of artificial turf. I have had it in my own yard for over 2 years with continual positive comments from neighbors…the maintenance is so easy.  Where others mow, water, fertilize, weed, and trim their grass…I have mine blown and vacuumed and it is green all years long!…not to forget about the water-efficiency aspect.

For your garden to flourish, be sure to amend the soil properly with organic material and a good quality sand to ensure proper drainage as well as root growth.  This is a very fluid concept in that you must find out what type of soil you have for the given region.  Areas of the northwest are very acidic, while areas of the southwest are very alkaline. This is very critical for water, fertilizer, and amendment considerations.

Proper plant choices, proper planning, and proper soil conditions will ensure that your garden will bring you great happiness, peace, and joy for years to come.  What an Empowering and Peaceful Thought!

Creating water-efficient landscape designs begin with proper planning.  Proper planning begins with vision and a design appropriate plan.

There is such a misconception that Xeriscape design is nothing more than cacti and rock.  While I am enthralled with what can be done from a design perspective with cacti, succulents, and other species such as Saguaros, there are many alternatives to these drought-tolerant plants that can create that sub-tropical “green” feel and still maintain water-efficiency.

You need to start the planning phase by doing some research.  Educate yourself on the different types of plants available for your climate.  A walk through the local nursery is a good start.  Often times, they only carry mainstream plant material.  A great place to really see what plant material is available is through the internet. A great source for the novice is High Country Gardens where you will get great pictures of various drought-tolerant plant material.  Just make sure that what you choose is appropriate for you region and zonal climate.

After you have done your preliminary research, sketch out your yard to scale.  Most landscape architects and designers use 1/8″ = 1-0′ as the standard scale.  Hint…if you are putting in a swimming pool, get a copy of the design from the pool contractor.  Then,  get tracing paper, do an overlay and create your design.  You just saved yourself a lot of time and energy by not having to measure and re-create the rear yard.  A word of caution…always check a few measurements against the scale.  I have caught pool contractors making measuring errors.  This could be a formula for disaster if you have a small rear yard or live in a tightly controlled HOA and your incorrect measurements cause you to encroach on an area that you should not cross into and violate.  Incorporate into the design all your existing hardscape elements, major trees and any plants that you wish to keep in the design, if that is your choice.

At  this point, it is time to get your creative juices flowing and create your design.  Having a basic understanding of growth patterns of the various plant materials you wish to incorporate will be of a great benefit.  You might find that you can start with a smaller size and let them grow if the particular plant is rapid growing.  If it is a plant like a Barrel Cactus that you are using as a focal point, you might wish to choose a larger size cactus as the growth pattern is very slow.

Consider the following when you map out your design:

*Landscape budget

*Appearance…The “Wow Factor”

*Function

*Maintenance

*Water Requirements

If you find this task too daunting, you might wish to retain the services of a qualified landscape architect or designer. They, along with local nurserymen and county extension agents are excellent resources to assist you with making the best decision.  Appropriate planning and design will help keep your design challenges to a minimum.  They will help to ensure that the final product is a culmination of both your dreams and what makes sense.  This planning is totally Empowering!

Water is becoming a critical issue in the southwest.  No more evident than Southern Nevada.  When I moved here in 1987, we had all the water we needed.  Drought,  massive growth, coupled with swimming pools, and numerous golf courses has created a water crisis. Xeriscaping of the front yards in new residential construction has become mandatory.  Commercial construction has followed suit.  All this has combined to dramatically reduce the consumption of water.  Xeriscaping has grown into a comprehensive plan to design creative landscaping while maintaining environmentally sound principals.  Traditional landscapes may incorporate one or two principles of water conservation, but they do not utilize the entire concept to reduce landscape water use effectively. Xeriscape landscape design incorporates seven basic principles which lead to water conservation… *Planning and Design *Soil Analysis *Practical Turf Areas *Appropriate Plant Selection *Efficient Irrigation *Use Of Mulches *Appropriate Maintenance By incorporating these seven basic principles of Xeriscape design, you can help preserve our most precious natural resource…our water.  Xeriscape landscapes do not need to be isolated to a cactus and rock garden.  Rest assuredly, those can be developed in such a way as to demonstrate incredible creativity and beauty.  However, Xeriscapes can be comprised of green, cool landscapes full of beautiful plants maintained with water-efficient practices…something we all appreciate and desire. Over the next few posts I will address the seven design principles of Xeriscape design in detail, that hopefully will create a level of confidence that Xeriscape design is hip, cool, and creative…an Empowering point of view!