Xeriscape Gardening, ( It’s not the stabby landscape you might think of…)
I think Xeriscape gardening has a bad rap. The truth is that you don’t have to use only gravel and cactus to have a Xeriscape garden. The word Xeriscape comes from the Latin word “Xeros” which means dry and of course, “scape”, from landscape.
Grass isn’t everything…Texture, color, low water..Xeriscape!
I tend to design my Xeriscape gardens more in the fashion of the rain forest. Now I know that is completely contradictory, but it works. I have no sod or a very small intentional lawn, you save on water, air pollution and lots of labor. I use layers of plants from the ground cover to the canopy and all sizes in between. I create a bed covered entirely with plants, or spaced in such a way that no weeds can grow, because they get no sun and the beds are heavily mulched. The plants all protect each other from the overexposure to the elements and they all use very low water to begin with. Win, Win!
A compromise of rock, sod and native landscaoe can make a beautiful impact and create an opportunity for a truly original landscape.
Landscape design, lisa lapaso
If you were to choose every low water, drought tolerant plant, deer resistant, ground cover, plant and
Here is a really cool alternative with Buffalo Grass and native and adapted plants.
tree that thrives in central Texas, you would have quite a selection to choose from. Why limit yourself to cactus?
Follow the basic rule for design, start low in the front and use the tall stuff in the back, plant in mass, and add a couple of specimens here and there. Don’t put your tree’s to close together and make sure you have planted all of your plants far enough apart to make room for their mature size. If the tag says 5′ by 5′, than that’s how much room it needs to start with. Also, be sure to account for Sun changes when planting under a young tree. Simple as that. Within 3 years you will have about as lovely a Xeriscape garden as you could imagine. Use mulch paths instead of lawn, use rocks for borders, water features and interesting architecture, be creative. Think outside of the proverbial garden box.
Here are some of my favorite Xerophytic plants!
Now go get your Xerophytic garden on!
Lisa La Paso
“Saving the Planet one Yard at a Time”
Check out my video’s on YouTube!!
Quote of the day: “As the Garden Grows, so does the Gardener”
Todays plant: Aloe Vera, There are many varieties that work beautifully in this area, one of my faves is a full Sun Aloe with a spotted Grey/Green flesh and large spines along it’s margin. The blooms are salmon and they are prolific. If you can find this species, it is a treasure. Great medicinal values.
- Posted in: Central Texas Gardens ♦ Eco Friendly ♦ Education ♦ Gardening ♦ Landscape and Design ♦ Native and Adapted Plants ♦ Native and Adapted Trees ♦ Native Plants ♦ Perennial plants ♦ Water Wise ♦ Water Wise Perennial Plants ♦ Xeriscape
- Tagged: Austin Texas, Avery Ranch, Central Texas, central Texas xeriscape, HOA allowed Xeriscape beds, HOA xeriscape landscapes, HOA Xerscape gardens, Xeriscape Gardens
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