Xeriscaping

Derived from the Greek word for dry (xeros), xeriscaping is often pronounced like “zeroscaping” implying minimal yard work. Alas this is untrue.

Maybe a better term for xeriscaping is water-wise gardening, achieved by the use of drought-tolerant plants and efficient irrigation.

Drip irrigation is the best choice as it uses little water and delivers it to a specific point. A well-designed drip system can conserve water while also allowing the use of plants that are not considered drought-tolerant.

To really embrace water-saving as a key feature in your landscape its best to reduce the size of lawns and replace those areas with plantings. Lawns require orders of magnitude more water than plantings, and plants actually need less and less water over time as they establish themselves in the environment.

The main challenge to keeping a planted garden looking good is regular maintenance. Its doesn’t have to take more time than mowing but not less either! In this regard “zeroscaping” is really a misnomer.