The First Principle of Xeriscaping

The Summer Blockbuster

There are seven main principles connected with Xeriscaping.  The first is to design your garden.  Sounds simple enough, really, even silly to those of us in the Landscape Design Profession.  However, this instruction is not concerned about the aesthetic of the design, but that you design with conservation in mind.

Know the Site

Before you put pencil to paper (or mouse to Autocad) you should know the different aspects of the site you are designing for.  Where does it get the most sun?  Is there exposure from the wind?  Where does your weather come from?  (In Canada, the weather tends to come from the west, although this is not always true.)
Are there trees offering shelter from the wind, or shade?  What is the soil like? (Very important, and I will be addressing that at a later date.)  How do existing slopes influence the drainage?  Other elements we have to address in Canada include snow load.  Will plantings be destroyed by snow in the winter, or our cheerful friend, the snowplow driver.  Maybe salt on the road will find its way to your yard.  Don't forget to incorporate your desires as well.  Where is the nicest view?  Do you need pathways and patios?  Do you want an area for recreation, perhaps for children to play?  All these elements will affect your design, but don't be daunted.  Sometimes, these constraints will result in a design that you never imagined.


Adding shade can reduce water loss


Hydrozoning
 
Next, you need to designate plantings in zones.  Using water in a xeriscape is not a crime, the goal is simply to use less of it.  Some areas, such as turf, will naturally need more water than others.  All you need to do is plan where these areas are, and create zones.  The zone that will recieve the most attention from people should be the "Oasis" zone.  The zone that will recieve the least amount of attention will be the "low water use zone".  Between them is the "transition zone".  Know these zones and designate plant material accordingly.  Also, try and work these zones into the natural drainage patterns of the existing landscape.  That will be both economically and environmentally beneficial.

If you have a slope, add terraces to reduce water runoff