Xeriscaping on a Budget and Being Environmentally Conscious
When it comes to planning and designing your landscape, the basis of the design comes mainly from personal tastes. But the challenge of creating a Xeriscape garden is keeping it within your set budget. Basically, Xeriscaping is choosing the correct plants, groundcover and grass suited for areas that receive high temperatures and dry climate conditions.
One area where Xeriscaping can help with your budget is the reduction of lawn areas in both the front and backyard. Doing this will keep the lawn more manageable and is on the top of the list for water conservation. Less lawn equals less water used and less money spent. Especially considering the average household will waste an astounding 25 gallons of water per square foot of lawn each year! This is a big hit to your pocket book. Not to mention the amount of pollution created by mowing.
There is a huge misunderstanding Xeriscaping. People think they are limited to using just desert plants like Cacti in the overall garden design. Really, any plant can be used as long as the right steps are taken. For instance, you could group types of plants with the same watering needs in the same area. Or if you are planting on a slope, keep plants with more watering needs at the bottom of the slope to maximize the amount of run off they receive.
But gardening on a budget means collecting and using free stuff. Rock gardens are the choice of design for gardeners living in dry climates. Depending on where you live in the world, the types and size of rocks you will find are endless! They’re used where bushes or grass would normally and obviously take care of themselves. They can have a very unique look and you can still have numerous plants around the rocks.
Containers are another source of free design. Why? Because they come in a multitude of sizes, shapes and color. Anything can be used for your plants as long as it holds water. Workboots, old shoes, half wood barrels, plastic containers, old bathtubs, hypertufa, old sinks. The possibilities with design and dimension are endless! So Xeriscaping on a budget is very attainable. You’ll use less water, less fertilizer, less maintenance and the result is more money in your pocket to spend on your garden!
