Green Glossary: Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping is a "systematic method of promoting water conservation in landscaped areas." It is mostly "used in arid regions, but its principles can be used in any region to help conserve water." The key principles of xeriscaping are:

- Planning and design

- Selecting and zoning plants appropriately

- Limiting turf areas

- Improving the soil

- Irrigating efficiently

- Using mulches

- Maintaining the landscape

The word xeriscaping was coined by combining xeros (Greek for "dry") with landscape. "Plants whose natural requirements are appropriate to the local climate are emphasized, and care is taken to avoid losing water to evaporation and run-off. Some common plants used in xeriscaping are agave, cactus, lavender, juniper, sedum, and thyme."

Some advantages of xeriscaping include: Lower water bills, more water available for other uses and other people (such as showers, sinks, hoses), less time and work needed for maintenance, little or no lawn mowing (which saves gas), and increased habitat for native bees, butterflies, and other fauna. One of the disadvantages is that xeriscape plants can waste water if irrigation is not properly managed.