Xerogardening consists of designing gardens similar to the natural spaces of the locality where plants grow with few water requirements. Xeriscaping is suggested to be carried out in places where it is difficult to obtain sufficient irrigation water. I invite you to know what Xeriscaping consists of and what its application is here in this article.
Xerogardening
The practice of Xeriscaping began to develop in the United States in the 1980s, as a response to the drought problem that the state of Colorado suffered, which was designed jointly by the Colorado Association of Landscapers, the Denver Water Department and Colorado State University. In this way, the garden designs were adapted to work with plant species and types of landscapes characteristic of the local climate and where water losses due to evaporation or water leaks are avoided.
The word xerogardening began to be used after the National Xeriscape Council registered the trademark Xeriscape TM. The word is constructed from the Greek word “Xeros” which means dry and the English word “landscape” which means landscape or garden. A xerophytic garden or xerogarden is a place where in addition to planting cacti, agave, lavender, juniperus, sedum and thymus, there can also be some grass or lawn and leafy plants, because any plant that receives timely maintenance can be planted in places designed according to the principles of xeriscape.
In these gardens, where the water resource is restricted, different species can be cultivated and attractive landscaping designs can be created. The objective of xeriscaping is knowing how to use water efficiently and incorporate native plants that, due to their physiological characteristics, are capable of absorbing the little amount of water that is in the soil. For this, it is necessary to learn about plants and natural places of growth, as well as their relationship with the environmental conditions that influence the landscape of a place.
Beginning
The plant species must be chosen and located appropriately, preferably the plants should be native or autochthonous to the place where the xerogarden is to be established, or with similar environmental conditions, it is also suggested to plant species of ornamental plants that are resistant to a small amount of water to develop, such as plants: xerophytes, halophytes, bulbs that go dormant in summer, and deeply rooted plants.
hydronization: Under this term, plants with similar irrigation requirements are organized in a group. That is, plants that require more water for growth, such as cabbages, fruit plants and some flowers, are planted together. Similarly, plants with less available water efficiency can be planted under trees or near facilities such as the house, to protect them from the sun or wind, to lower the amount of water they require.
Reduce the surfaces of grass or grass, it is suggested to use grass species that are resistant to drought and plant it in small areas such as in places where children play. The rest of the planting surface can be complemented with ornamental plants planted on the borders and islands, forming ornamental plant beds that are resistant to low amounts of water.
Drip irrigation and effective use of irrigation water. If you have to install a sprinkler irrigation system, you have to water first thing in the morning or at the end of the afternoon. Because at these times of the day the loss of water by evaporation and wind is less likely. Care must be taken that little water is lost, such as that which falls on roads or driveways. Drought-resistant plants will be watered with rainwater or when required to keep them in good condition.
Help maintain soil moisture. Improving the structure of the soil and this allows it to better retain water, it is suggested to cover it with straw, dry leaves, or tree bark, this will keep the soil surface cool and reduce water loss through evaporation.
Advantages
- Lower cost for water service
- Water available for other domestic uses such as showers, sinks and hoses. More water for other people.
- Decrease in maintenance time and work to be carried out
- Lawn maintenance is reduced or this activity is eliminated in the maintenance of the xerigarden.
- An adequate design allows drought-resistant plants, planted in the xerogarden together with other flowering plants, to make good use of rainwater.
- In case there is water rationing in your locality, the plants in the xerogarden will be able to maintain themselves well, unlike the plants with higher water requirements that will tend to wither.
- It is possible that the native fauna of pollinators and birds will increase.
Disadvantages
- It has to be well planned, to be able to observe a change of colors in the different seasons of the year, because the evergreen plants do not bloom at the same time.
- Perhaps it requires more work to prepare the soil for the future xerigarden than when cultivating a lawn.
- People need to learn to appreciate plants from drier environments and how to care for them.
- The coverage of the xerigardens require a more demanding maintenance than just pruning and care, but it must also be kept free of weeds, with color and sweep the garbage.
- Irrigation system by sectors and specific for the plant group, to prevent water loss.
planning and design
When you start designing a garden, you have to take into account the type of garden and the use it will have. Also observe where the sun rises and where it sets, because this determines the orientation of the garden. Also observe the slope of the land, the location of plants that act as windbreakers in case it blows very hard, the location of the plants and any other information that helps for the development and design of the garden.
Soil analysis
Taking a soil sample and taking it to a soil science laboratory will allow knowing the characteristics of the garden soil. This study will allow knowing the texture of the soil, its pH, drainage, porosity, moisture retention, fertility and other values that help in the selection of plants to use in principle.
plants to choose
To make the work of plant selection for the design of a garden easier, following Xerogardening techniques, it is suggested to start by selecting native plants because they are the plants that grow best in the place where the next xerogarden is located. . In case you want to design a xerogarden with plants from other places, then you have to find out which plants grow in places with climatic characteristics similar to the place where the garden will be established.
less grass
The initial objective of the spaces where xeriscaping is applied is to reduce water consumption, and one way to reduce its consumption is to avoid planting grass, because a large amount of water has to be applied for proper maintenance. Instead of this it is suggested, if you prefer, to plant small patches of grass or grass and combine with texture such as gravel or substitute with cover plants resistant to trampling and not very demanding of water.
zoned irrigation
For gardens with Xerogardening practices, it is suggested to install an irrigation system that uses little water and reaches the plants specifically, such as drip irrigation. In addition, to install this type of drip irrigation system, plants with similar water requirements must be planted, which will help save this resource.
Soil protection with mulching
Given that the soil will be exposed in some sectors where cover plants are not planted, it is good that the soil is protected with natural mulching-type covers such as pine bark, or minerals such as gravel of various colors and sizes, which allows avoiding the erosion of the soil due to the transit of people and their footsteps, as well as avoiding the loss of soil moisture through evaporation due to the incidence of sunlight and, in turn, keeping the soil temperature warm.
Landscaping with stones
The use of inert covers such as stones is convenient for a design applying the indications of Xerogardening. With this type of coverage you will also have a variety of colors, sizes and shapes with the difference that you will not have to carry out maintenance or its maintenance will be very low, almost always replacing it. In case the largest selection of plants are succulent species and cacti, it is suggested to use volcanic stones and in case the garden is from semi-desert Mediterranean places where plants such as lavender, rosemary, sunflowers and others are grown, it is suggested to use pebbles and gravel.
Maintenance
For the design of the xerogardens, it is suggested to plant a greater number of trees and shrubs that are not demanding of water that are autochthonous and few places planted with grass and more spaces covered by inorganic covers. In case of cultivating exotic species, they must have similar requirements in terms of water, light and other climatic requirements to avoid inconveniences in their maintenance.
During its maintenance, the use of agrochemicals must be avoided, although native plants can be planted that do not have to be cacti or succulents, it is possible that there are some trees and shrubs that require some pruning, it is suggested to place these types of plants in them spaces, to place the drip irrigation system in zoned preference and in this way reduce the use of water and prune the minimum.
Plant species
In Xerogardening, as its name indicates, plants that are born in environments with droughts are used and the plants have adapted both their appearance and their anatomy to live with little water. Among these plants there may be some whose water requirements are greater because they live in places where there are several months without rain and others with medium to high rainfall. Also, instead there are plants from extremely dry environments where the precipitation of rainwater is very sporadic. In Xeriscaping, you can plant in a planned and organized manner, according to a design, the planting of various species, such as:
Albizia julibrissim. They call it the silk tree or Acacia of Constantinople, it is a deciduous tree with a height of about 15 meters. During the spring season it blooms with very attractive pink flowers, it is also resistant to temperatures down to -7°C.
Cupressus arizonica. This is a coniferous tree, known by its common name of Arizona or Arizona cypress, it is a cypress that has a height of about 25 meters. Its leaves are evergreen, dark green and even bluish depending on the variety or horticultural cultivar, it is a tree that resists frost down to -18°C.
Phoenix dactylifera. It is a palm tree that they call date palm, this species of Phoenix is a palm tree that is generally multi-stemmed, that is, it has several trunks, it can reach around 30 meters high. It is highly appreciated for its edible fruits with a pleasant flavor, the dates. It is a palm that is resistant to temperatures down to -10°C.
hibiscus syriacus. This is a shrub with deciduous leaves that receives the vulgar or colloquial name of Syrian rose. This bush can reach a height of about 4 meters and its flowering will be of different colors depending on its variety, it can have white, red, violet or pink flowers. It is a shrub that adapts to places down to -10°C.
Lavender toothed. It is a shrub of just 30 to 45 centimeters in height, which is commonly called curly lavender or toothed lavender, its flowers are purple and it blooms during the summer season. This small shrub adapts to temperatures down to -6°C.
Echinocactus grusonii. This cactus is known by the common names of mother-in-law's seat or barrel cactus, among others. It is a xerophytic plant that has a globular or spherical stem with modified leaves resembling long, sharp, yellow thorns. Its height can reach 1 meter and, although it is xerophytic, it can resist frosts down to -4°C, however, it prefers more benevolent climates.
Hedera helix. It is a climbing plant with evergreen leaves, which they call ivy. This climber can reach more than 30 meters in height, as long as it has something to hold on to and be able to climb. What makes this plant attractive are the shapes of its dark green or variegated leaves. This plant that adapts to places with temperatures down to -7°C. As well as these, other plants that can be selected for Xerogardening are also listed.
Deciduous low water demanding trees. Neapolitan Alder (Alnus cordata), Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Rain Tree (Koelreuteria bipinnata), Pomegranate (Punica granatum) and False Acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia).
Evergreen undemanding trees. Mimosa (Acacia baileyana), Blackwood Acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), Bottle Tree (Brachychiton populneus), Australian Pine (Casuarina equisetifolia), Australian Oak (Grevillea robusta), Laurel (Laurus nobilis) and Olive (Olea europaea).
Shrubs little demanding of water with deciduous leaves. Tree of love (Cercis siliguastrum), Griñolera (Cotoneaster horizontalis), Black broom (Cytisus scoparius), Tree of paradise (Eleagnus angustifolia), Japanese rose (Rosa rugosa).
Shrub undemanding water with evergreen leaves. Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo), Mugwort (Artemisa spp.), Red Brush (Callistemon spp.), Mountain Lilo (Ceanothus arboreus), Eleagno (Eleagnus pungens), Myrtle (Myrtus communis), Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea) and Aladdin (Rhamnus alaternus).
Shrubs little water exists for hedges. Chinese Juniper (Juniperus spp.), Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster spp.), Japanese Pittosporum (Pittosporum toriba).
Low water demanding plants for flower beds. Yarrow (Achillea millefollium), Aloe (Aloe arborescens), Evergreen (Myoporum debile), Female Artemisia (Santolina chamaecyparissus) and Evergreen (Sedum acre).
Plants not demanding perennial water. California Poppy (Escholzia californica), Purslane (Portulaca grandiflora), Tagetes (Tagetes lemmonii) and Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia).
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