Water Restrictions Again!?!? Xeriscape your way to water free worries

Do have an area that consistently looks great during the spring and early summer just to brown and die during the heat and usually dry late summer months. Every year you pour money into this area trying your hardest to keep it happy only to deal with water restrictions that keep you from being able to keep it thriving.

Xeriscaping is a great way to keep your property looking great even when rain is few and far between. Xeriscape comes from the Greek word Xero meaning dry and is a type of landscaping that reduces the need for irrigation or consistent watering. This type of landscaping focuses on using drought resistant plants combined with either mulch or stone to create a beautiful and simple way to conserve water while keeping happy plants.

There are so many benefits to the environment including a 50-75% reduction in outdoor water use as well as supporting local pollinators. Better yet, by using native plant species you reduce the need for chemical applications like pesticides and fertilizers. The initial set up is a little bit of an investment but could potentially increase your property value and save you $200-$500 annually on maintenance alone.

Xeriscaping like any landscape project you start with location. Choose an area that has a tendency to get dry during those hot summer months or an area that you are just tired of having to water all the time. From there you can determine which plants and covering would be best. Before planting you will want to add compost to the soil to give it a fresh start, mixing it into the existing soil as you go giving it much need nutrients and oxygen.

Native drought tolerant plants for your area are key to a successful xeriscape. Here in New Jersey, we have a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and ground covering species including Highbush Blueberry, Mountain Laurel, Butterfly weed, Purple Coneflower, and Switchgrass. By choosing native plants you are choosing ones that you know for a fact due well in our area, our type of soil, and have built us natural defenses to local pests. Added bonus they will attract our local wildlife and pollinators!

Depending on your personal preference you can choose either mulch or stone around your plants. Both of these will help suppress the growth of weeds and protect the roots allowing for moisture retention. Stone will give you a clean look with no need to refresh annually and will limit any erosion. Mulch will retain more moisture and give you a more natural feel. Ultimately the choice is yours and key to the success of your xeriscape.

Water...less, NOT waterless! It is important to remember that xeriscaping is all about water conservation and not completely water free. During extreme hot and dry times of the year you will occasionally need to water this area but nowhere near the amount that you give your yard or normal landscape beds. If there has been no rain, we recommend watering deeply and infrequently early mornings or late evenings to encourage strong and deep root growth of those new plants. Over the years they will require less and less water as they become more established.

Weather can be unpredictable and extreme dry summer heats can lead to a constant flow of money from your pocket. By switching out your traditional bed to xeriscape save money and support our local wildlife, it's a win-win!