Xeriscape and the Sustainable Landscape - Texas Solar Energy Society

1. Xeriscape
Principles and the
Sustainable
Landscape
Xeriscape is not a
landscape style or garden
design.
Xeriscape is a concept of
water conservation that
may be applied to
landscapes of any style
1

2. 30 to 50 % of total water is
used for landscape
Studies have shown that as irrigation
much as 70 percent of
water from a municipal
Let’s talk water supply water system can be
attributed to residential
use
Texas Projected Growth Projected Water Supply
Millions of Texans Millions of acre-feet
50 Conservation is the easiest and
20
cheapest way to make our water
40
15 use sustainable.
30
10
Texans use between 8 and 9
20
billion gallons of water per day.
10 5 The aquifers are recharged at a
0
rate of 4 to 5 billion gallons per
0
2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 day.
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3. Planning
Principles of Xeriscape Irrigation
Irrigation is
Planning and design Maximize water necessary in xeric
conservation with landscapes
Efficient irrigation systems, properly good planning and
Automatic, manual or
designed and maintained design.
hoses
Divide landscapes
Use of mulch Separate water zones
into water use
zones – oasis, Water efficiently
Soil preparation with drip, bubblers,
transition and low
Appropriate turf water use – micro-spray or
“hydrozoning” soakers hoses.
Water-efficient plant material
Design rainwater Turf can be watered
Appropriate maintenance harvesting into with drip irrigation.
plan – rain Apply water where it
gardens, rain is needed.
barrel use.
Mulch Soil Preparation Appropriate use of Turf
Major water user
Provide soil cover to Important in
Requires frequent
reduce evaporation xeriscaping and care
and erosion and gardening in Helps reduce
moderate soil general erosion
temperature Provides cooling and
Add organic soil
Helps limit weed amendments – reduces glare from
growth sun
compost Can substitute
Bark, gravel,
permeable weed Improves water groundcovers in low
barriers retention, root activity areas –
development and easier to irrigate.
Use as a landscape Consider drought
element water infiltration
tolerant turf like
buffalograss
3

4. Some Favorite Natives and
Turf water needs Low Water Use Plants
adaptive plants
• American Beautyberry • Gaura
• A 4500 square ft. St. Augustine Use native or • Blackeyed Susan • Lantana
• Black Fountain Grass • Maiden Grass
lawn receiving one inch of adaptive plants • Boston Ivy • Mexican Mint Marigold
water per cycle uses in all •
•
Mexican Buckeye
Crossvine
•
•
Mexican Oregano
Pink Skullcap
approximately 2812 gallons of hydrozones • Black Dalea • Purple Coneflower
• Gregg’s Dalea • Purple Heart
water. Many varieties • Daylily • Rock Rose
• Dwarf Maiden Grass • Rosemary
• A 4500 square ft. Bermuda lawn of color, • Dwarf Wax Myrtle • Sages
• Elaeagnus • Mexican Bush Sage
receiving one-half inch of water texture and size • Gayfeather (Liatris spp.) • Mealy Cup Sage
per cycle uses approximately readily •
•
Gregg’s Salvia
Dwarf Hameln Fountain Grass
•
•
Sedum
Standard Fountain Grass
1406 gallons of water. available in • Hardy Hibiscus • Thrift
• Bearded Iris • Turkscap
nurseries • Dutch Iris • Verbena
A Sustainable Sustainable Practices
Maintenance
Landscape –
Can be lower Build Healthy Soils
maintenance with use Use Mulch
of mulches – less
weeds Irrigate Efficiently
Preserves limited and costly Limit Fertilization
Design will determine
the required natural resources Turfgrass Recycling
maintenance Reduces waste generation Prune Selectively
Maintenance of Re-use On-site Organic Materials
irrigation will critical Helps prevent air, water and
More turf, more
Recycle Organic Materials Off-Site
soil pollution Practice Pollution Prevention
maintenance
Native/adaptive Retrofit Inefficient Landscapes
plants and reduced
insect problems
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