Xeriscaping Ideas: A Guide to Converting Your Landscaping

Looking for xeriscape landscaping ideas? You’re in the right place. Xeriscape landscaping uses native plants and an efficient irrigation plan to reduce the amount of water your yard needs. It’s also easier to maintain and is better for the environment because you don’t have to use pesticides or fertilizers. While some homeowners replace all grass with rocks and bushes with succulents, you don’t have to go to such extremes to put xeriscaping principles to work in your yard.

Not sure how to get started? This guide will show you how.

Create a drawing to work from

Denver Water, the city’s water utility, recommends you begin by creating a detailed drawing showing your home, driveway, sidewalk, existing trees you plan to keep and other elements. Then, measure from the property lines to your house, the exterior walls of your house, the driveway and anything else that appears in your initial drawing. Record these figures.

Next, transfer these measurements to graph paper, using a 1:10 or 1:8 scale where every 10 (or 8) feet of actual measure equals one inch on the plan. This will give you a more accurate understanding of just how much space you have to work with. Add an arrow pointing north, and consider areas that get a lot of shade. You may also want to include the location of spigots, downspouts and electrical outlets, according to Denver Water.

Plan to xeriscape in zones

Now that you have a base drawing, consider the changes you want to make. Will you be replacing your entire landscaping or just making modifications to your existing landscaping? Do you want to do the work all at once or over a period of time? And, how much of the work do you intend to do yourself? (You could even hire a landscape architect to draw complete a drawn design for you.)

If you intend to create your own xeriscape design, start by dividing your yard into three zones: arid zones, transition zones and oasis zones. By grouping your plants into these three zones you can efficiently irrigate and reduce the amount of water you use.

Arid zone: This area should be the furthest from your house. Focus on native and drought-resistant plants in this area, or leave the land in its natural state. You shouldn’t need to irrigate an arid zone because these plants should be able to survive on rainwater.

Transition zone: A transition zone provides a buffer between the arid zones and lush areas of your yard. Use drought-tolerant plants, ones that can survive for periods without water but need some to survive. You’ll need irrigation in this zone, but water use and general maintenance should be minimal.

Oasis zone: This zone should be close to the house, where it can take advantage of rainfall runoff from the roofline and gutter downspouts. Plants here may need more consistent water but still shouldn’t need excessive water. In addition to more water, this area may require more work. For example, if you plant annuals for a pop of color, you’ll need to replace them the next season.

Address your grass

You don’t have to eliminate grass entirely from your yard when you convert to xeriscape, but you do need to address it. First, reduce the grass in your yard to only those areas where you actually use it, like under your kids’ playground equipment. The less grass you have, the less water you’ll have to use to keep it green.

Second, consider the type of grass in your yard. Some grasses, like Kentucky bluegrass, are hardy, but they require a lot of water to stay green. On the other hand, some grass varieties that don’t use much water can’t withstand heavy foot traffic. Consult with your local nursery or a landscaper for suggestions on what type of grass will meet your requirements.

Prepare your soil for xeriscaping

In order for your plants to get what they need without wasting water, your soil needs to be able to absorb and retain moisture. This can be a problem if your soil is primarily clay or sand. Clay can easily retain moisture, but it has a difficult time absorbing it. With sand, the water seeps quickly into the soil, but the soil doesn’t retain its moisture.

You should be able to tell whether your soil is sandy or contains too much clay. Sandy soil will feel grainy. While clay soil may have a “clay” feel, you can identify it by how it acts when it is wet and dry. After a rain, you’ll see puddles hours or even days later because it takes the soil so long to absorb the moisture. On the other hand, when it is dry, clay soil will crack.

Consider testing your soil for organic and nutrient content before adding anything. Adding too much of an element, such as nitrogen, may only compound the problem. You can find testing kits at your local nursery or home improvement store. Consult a local gardening expert if necessary.

Irrigate in zones

In the areas of your yard that require water—mainly the transitional and oasis zones—drip irrigation provides just enough moisture by slowly emitting a drip at or near the surface of the soil. This can reduce your landscape’s water consumption by as much as 65 percent. You can use a traditional point source drip irrigation that targets a specific plant or a grid system that gives even water coverage to an entire area. Either way, you can purchase drip irrigation installation kits online or at your local nursery or home improvement store.

Drip irrigation isn’t the only way to reduce water consumption and ensure your yard gets the water it needs. You can capture rainfall in rain barrels and rain storage tanks and draw from them to water areas of your yard. Or, you can take advantage of downspouts or areas that get moisture from roofline runoff. Put plants in these areas that need more water, and you’ll have to water them less.

Once you have set up drip irrigation and taken advantage of natural water sources, retain that water in the soil with mulch. Compost can also aid in water retention.

Choose the best plants

Before you head to the nursery, do some research. Which plants are native to your area? Which plants from other parts of the world live in similar climates? Native and drought-tolerant plants are your best options for xeriscaping. If you’re not finding enough information online or from books for xeriscaping ideas, visit the nearest botanical garden and ask the docents there about native plants. Or, take a local gardening glass. (Sometimes, the local water department will hold free workshops and classes on xeriscaping, too.)

Then, pull out the drawing you completed earlier. Add the plants where you think they will work best in your yard, keeping in mind elements like shade, direct sunlight and water. You may need to make slight modifications to your drip irrigation to make sure the plants you buy can get the water they need.

Finally, purchase your plants and install. You don’t have to do all the work at once. Breaking the yard into sections makes the project more manageable, especially if you’re doing the work yourself. And, of course, if you feel overwhelmed, you can always hire a landscape designer and crew to do the work for you.

Make a bold move

Or, you can move to a house that already has xeriscaping installed. Admittedly, you probably won’t move solely because you want to xeriscape, but if you’re already considering a move, why not look for a home with xeriscape landscaping?

Moving.com can help once you’ve committed to making the move. We have an extensive network of reputable and reliable movers who can pack and move your current home and unload your belongings from the truck. In no time, you’ll be kicking back and enjoying the xeriscape landscaping at your new home.