by Matt Corrion
Converting an outdated landscape into landscaping that uses less water is not as hard as you might think. And there are many benefits!
One of the best ways to do this is to convert your high water-use landscaping into a Xeriscape (pronounced “zeer-escape”). This can be done anywhere- from a small home landscape, to a large commercial property.
Many people have an image of Xeriscape as a “sea of rocks, with a few cactus plants”. But Xeriscape can also be a lush, green and colorful landscape that is interwoven with flowering plants, textures, and beauty throughout each season. In my opinion it is much more beautiful and interesting than “traditional” landscaping.
The Top 10 Benefits Are:
10. Less Maintenance
9. Use Less Water & Better for the Environment
8. Prevent Water Damage
7. More Beautiful, Colorful & Unique
6. Better Wildlife Habitat
5. Less Fertilizers & Pesticides Needed
4. Better Suited to Your Site’s Unique Conditions
3. More Winter Beauty
2. Better Prepared for Drought
1. Saves You Money
Now I will discuss each benefit in greater detail and explain what each one can mean for you:
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by Matt Corrion
Here a few images I snapped from my “dry Xeriscape” garden at my home in Arvada, Colorado. This garden faces southwest, and receives little to no supplemental watering. The area was previous an irrigated lawn before I converted it to this Xeriscape.
Delosperma (Red Mountain and Mesa Verde Iceplant) and Actostaphylos x coloradoensis (Panchito Manzanita)
Dry Xeriscape Garden
Erigonum umbellatum (Kannah Creek Buckwheat)
Delosperma (Red Mountain and Mesa Verde Iceplant)
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
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by Matt Corrion
Question: How much of my water goes toward irrigating my landscaping?
Answer: In Denver, 54% of the average residential customer’s water use goes toward irrigating the landscaping.
The average person in Denver uses 128 gallons of water per day for residential use.
The breakdown of residential water use:
- 1% Dishwashers
- 5% Leaks
- 6% Faucets
- 10% Showers and Baths
- 11% Laundry
- 13% Toilets
- 54% Landscaping
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by Matt Corrion
I often get asked to recommend Xeriscape plants for Colorado landscapes. This is a difficult task because there are so many to chose from, and I would hate to limit anyone’s pallette to a limited number. After all, it is the variety in color, textures, and form that makes Xeriscaping so attractive.
That being said, I do think a small list can be helpful to people who are new to the area, or are not familiar with the available plant choices and may be overwhelmed by a catalog of thousands of plants. Although this is a Colorado list, most of these plants can be used in many places throughout the world depending on the local climate.
- Fernbush – Chamaebatiaria millefolium Fernbush is a medium sized shrub with interesting fern-like leaves that persist throughout the winter. This shrub requires little water or maintenance, and produces clusters of small white flowers in the late spring through early summer.
- Agastache – Agastache ssp. Agastache, or hummingbird mint, is a fragrant group of colorful perennial herbs that is available in many colors mostly ranging from orange to pink. The plants are covered with beautiful tubular flowers from mid-summer to fall. Hummingbirds absolutely love these plants. (more…)
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by Matt Corrion
More communities are realizing that Xeriscape (low water use landscaping) makes sense, and are actively promoting it.
photo of a converted xeriscape that was previously a lawn area
The City of Aurora, Colorado and Aurora Water have been pioneers in water conservation through supporting regionally appropriate landscape design. Outdoor Design Group has been actively involved with the program for the last couple of years. For 2010, the Xeriscape Rebate program has been allocated $250,000 dollars for rebates to convert high water use landscapes (sod, turf, or lawn) to Xeriscape.
In past posts on this blog, I have documented the money and water savings and given examples of the beauty of these landscapes. Each site is different, but in general you can expect a (more…)
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