Xeriscaping is a big word that sums up an easy-concept: Landscaping to save water. Lots of people assume xeriscaping
means gardening only with drought-tolerant cacti and succulents. Happily, that’s not the case.
What Exactly Is Xeriscaping?
There are lots of ways you can use xeriscaping principles to save water in your yard.
1) Address your soil. If your
soil is sandy and dries out fast after you water or a good rain, you can help the ground hold moisture better for your
plants. It’s easy -- just add as much organic matter (such as compost or coconut coir) as you can. If starting new
plantings, or completely renovating existing ones, mix in the organic matter before you start planting. If you’re
dealing with existing garden beds or borders, top dress in spring and fall with a 1- to 2-inch-deep layer of
compost.
Learn more with our mulch guide.
3) Place Plants Strategically. Save water in your xeriscape yard, even if you grow thirsty plants like astilbe, coleus, impatiens, lobelia, and pansies. The trick is to put them all together in one area, so you can water enough to keep them happy without having to water your entire yard that much. Make it even easier on yourself, if you can, but putting the moisture-loving-plants section of your yard in a place that’s naturally a little wetter, such as low spots or designed around a downspout.
4) Reduce Your Lawn. We tend to water our turf more than garden plants because an expanse of brown, dormant grass around our homes just looks bad. Adjusting your attitude about how green your grass needs to stay (or reducing the amount of lawn you have if it’s important to you to keep it lush and green) can go a long way to lowering your water bills and making your yard more xeriscape friendly.
5) Plant Selection. Of course, going with drought-tolerant plants that need less water is the most obvious way of reducing water loss.
6) Water Wisely. Xeriscaping doesn’t mean that you don’t water your yard at all. It’s important to give trees, shrubs, and perennials regular watering the first year you plant them to help them become established. And during periods of hot, dry weather, you may want to water your plants to keep them looking better and blooming more, even if they’ll survive just fine without watering. How you deliver the water is also important. Running a soaker hose underneath your mulch, for example, is more xeriscaping-friendly than using a sprinkler. On hot, windy days, up to 30 percent of the water thrown in the air by a sprinkler can potentially evaporate before it reaches the ground.
Are All Native Plants Good for Xeriscaping?
Just because a plant is native doesn’t mean it’s a low-water variety. For example, cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is native to
large areas of North America, but is a moisture-loving plant that shows poor tolerance to drought. Western bleeding heart (Dicentra formosana) is another native
that doesn’t hold up well to hot, dry weather. When selecting native plants, pay attention to their water needs and
place them accordingly in your yard. 
What Are Good, Low-Water Annuals?
In general,
annuals tend to need a little more water than perennials. But if you’re looking for lots of color, start with these
varieties.
Angelonia
Celosia
Cosmos
Dusty Miller (Senecio)
Marigold (Tagetes)
Mexican heather (Cuphea)
Purslane (Portulaca)
Pentas
Salvia
Zinnia
What Are Good, Low-Water Perennials for the North?
Good news! There are a lot of easy-care, drought-tolerant perennials you can
choose from if you live in a cold-winter area (such as Zones 4 to 6). These varieties all look great, and won’t give
your yard a shabby, desert look. Here are some of our picks.
Artemisia
Blanket flower (Gaillardia)
Butterfly weed (Asclepias)
Catmint (Nepeta)
Coneflower (Echinacea)
Daylily (Hemerocallis)
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Russian sage (Perovskia)
Sedum
Yarrow (Achillea)
What Are Good, Low-Water Perennials for the South?
If don’t have cold winters to contend with, but you’re
in an area like Zones 7 to 9, with hot, humid summers, you have fantastic choices for perennials that look great, even
during drought. Here are some of our favorite low-water perennials for the South.
Blanket flower (Gaillardia)
Daylily (Hemerocallis)
Gaura
Ice
plant (Delosperma)
Liriope
Red hot poker (Kniphofia)
Salvia
Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas)
Sedum
Verbena
Does Xeriscaping Apply to Container Gardens?
You use xeriscaping concepts to make your favorite container gardens easier to care for, too. Selecting low-water
varieties of cacti and succulents, as well as drought-tolerant plants is the first step. Spreading mulch over the soil
in your pots can help, too. Also pay attention to container placement. Those pots closest to the hose might be better
hosts for thirsty plants, but maybe you want to use cacti and succulents for your big pots that are harder to get to (or
your hanging baskets that typically need watering more frequently).Learn more about how to save money by landscaping!
By Karen Weir-Jimerson
Gardening is cross-training program where you and your yard get fitter. While gardening does wonders for your sense of calmness, psychological well being, and creativity, it also has measurable benefits when it comes to exercise.
According to the Centers for Disease Control,gardeningis considered moderate cardiovascularexercise.If you spend time in your garden, weeding, digging, planting, raking, hoeing, for 30 to 45 minutes a day, you can expect to increase your heart rate and burn 150 to 300 calories.
Loosen Up with Stretches
Just as you do at the gym before you launch into your exercise routine, it’s a good idea to do stretching exercises to get warmed up for a workout in the garden. Pulling weeds, lifting bags of mulch or stone, pruning shrubs or raking leaves involve areas of your body that may not be exerted in your daily exercise regime. This is especially true for overzealous spring gardeners who have spent a winter of couch hibernation binge-watching Game of Thrones. (Think of spring gardening as a marathon that you need to train for.)
gurus recommend a mix of movements to warm up before gardening activities: upward arm stretches that help lengthen and loosen the muscles in your shoulders and back, bends from the waist that help increase flexibility of the muscles in the backs of your legs, and lunges to improve motion in your hips.
Increase Your Workout
Pruning, digging, and turning over compost work the muscles in your arms, upper torso, core, and legs. If you want to get more of a work out, forego convenience tools. For example, pick up bags of mulch and carry them from your car to your garden instead of using a wheelbarrow. Use manual hedge pruners instead of electric ones to give your biceps a workout. And use a push mower instead of a rider or self-propelled one.
Count Your Steps
Use a step counter to measure the distance from your backdoor or garage to the end of your property, around your garden, and back again. This will give you an idea of how many steps you’ll get per day if you do a daily walk through/survey of your garden and landscaping. Even just 15 minutes of leisurely walking burns 36 calories, and while that may not seem much, they add up. Another benefit? A daily walk around your garden will allow you to nip potential pest problems in the bud before they become a big problem.
Feel the Burn
Gardening activities burn calories. According to HGTV, raking leaves for an hour burns 292 calories (which will cancel out a Starbucks Grande Cafe Latte made with whole milk). Weeding or planting shrubs for an hour burns 306 calories. Heavy landscaping projects, such as moving rocks or pavers are a great way to improve the tone in your arms and legs. According to webmd.com, heavy yard work such as landscaping and hauling soil, burns off 400 to 600 calories per hour. Give your riding lawnmower the summer off and get a push mower. According to webmd.com, mowing the lawn burns 250 to 350 calories per hour.
Stretch When Stiff
Do your shoulders feel stiff while you are pruning or planting? Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor at the University of Vermont Extension Department of Plant and Soil Science, recommends performing shoulder shrugs to alleviate stiff muscles (raise your shoulders upward, hold, then release). When working on the ground, especially when you are on your hands and knees, do an occasional series of cat stretches by tucking your head into your chest and straightening out your legs and arms. Weeding allows you to stretch and pull, benefiting muscles in your arms and back. Keep in mind that if you are weeding beds for an extended period of time, it’s a good idea to sit or kneel on the ground rather than bending over from the waist (this may prevent lower back pain later). Use kneeling pads to protect your knees on hard ground.
Relieve Repetitive Action Stress
If you are planting flats of seeds or digging holes with a trowel or spade, be aware that repetitive action can stress joints and muscles. The University of Vermont Extension warns that “The repetitive motion of using a trowel or long-handled rake or hoe can stress your hands and wrists and may even lead to carpel tunnel syndrome.” To relieve wrist stress, let your hands go limp, rotate them in a circular motion (in one direction, then reverse), and then shake hands to get circulation moving.
Get Your Vitamin D
It’s estimated that more than 40 percent of American adults have a deficiency of Vitamin D. But outdoor gardening gives you Vitamin D the natural way—from exposure to the sun. Experts say that 10 to 30 minutes of sun exposure (to arms and legs, not just face) will provide you with the needed amount. Vitamin D, called the sunshine vitamin, helps your body absorb calcium and phosphorus, minerals needed for healthy bones. Too much sun, however, is bad. So, after your initial dose, use a hat and/or sunscreen to make sure you don’t overdo it.
