Xeriscapes: Water Efficient Landscapes - Ontario, Canada

1. XERISCAPES:
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPES
So what exactly is a xeriscape?
evolved in tandem with local cluding wildflower, yarrow, fescue, clover
rainfall conditions. and/or thyme lawn seed mixes. These can
be mown and will stay green through the
Xeriscaping does not necessarily summer with little or no watering beyond
exclude species that demand more natural rainfall.
water. The key is to group these
species together into distinct wa- Xeriscaping may involve garden soil
tering zones, and to adopt effi- amendments. Sandy soils readily absorb
cient watering and irrigation prac- water but drain quickly, whereas clay soils
Xeriscape combines the Greek word tices that minimize waste and hold moisture but have a low absorption
“xeros” (meaning dry) with evaporation. rate. The key, in either case, is to incorpo-
“landscape”. A trademark of the rate lots of organic matter in your garden
In a xeriscape, lawn areas are re- soil to maximize water absorption and re-
Colorado Waterwise Council, it
duced to what is needed for practi- tention. Water retention is further enhanced
refers to a water-wise approach to
cal or func- through the exten-
landscaping. Xeriscaping has now
tional rea- sive use of
gained wide acceptance in Ontario,
sons, while mulches. Mulches
where the demand for water in
the rest of can also help mini-
many fast-growing communities is
the land- mize weed growth,
exceeding supplies.
scape might and can become an
Xeriscapes are composed of hardy, be devoted, attractive land-
drought tolerant plants adapted to for in- scape feature that
local rainfall amounts without the stance, to enhances plantings.
need for supplementary watering. drought
The beauty of drought-tolerant tolerant Finally, xeriscaping
plants is that they generally remain perennial should also under-
vigorous even through dry periods. and shrub ground covers (or, in line the collection and storage of rainwater
Many native plant species are par- some cases, ornamental stone beds). off rooftops and pavements for use in the
ticularly well suited to water effi- Alternatives to the common lawn garden. Green roofs and porous pavements
cient landscapes, as they have are now also widely available, in- are other components of an effective water
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