Xeriscape - Landscapes for North Texas
Use Water Saving Practices and Native Plants for a Smart Yard Design
Oct 6, 2009
North Texas has dry years when the total rainfall is less than 25 inches. Reservoirs around North Texas have occasionally fallen so low that boating is prohibited and lake-side picnic tables are a long walk from the water. In summer, the average monthly rainfall in the Dallas area is about two inches with temperatures in the upper-nineties to over one hundred degrees. Water is a precious resource for all Texans and should be conserved as much as possible—that is where xeriscaping practices benefit everyone.
What is Xeriscaping
According to the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, the term xeriscape comes from the Greek word “xeros” meaning dry. But, dry does not mean dead or unattractive. As a landscaping practice for water conservation, the formal beginnings of xeriscaping are said to have been in Colorado. However, Native Americans in the dry western United States have practiced thoughtful water use for centuries out of necessity.
The core idea of xeriscaping is to plant trees, shrubs, and flowers that do not require a lot of supplemental water to survive and enhance the landscape. It involves amending the soil to improve water retention, applying mulches to retain moisture in the soil, and using water-efficient hoses like soakers and drip irrigation.
How to Practice Xeriscaping in North Texas
The number one recommendation of xeriscape experts is to plant the right trees, shrubs, and flowers in the right location. North Texans have an excellent resource in making landscaping choices using the information and recommendations from SmartScape®.
The SmartScape® program for North Texas began in 2001 through the efforts of volunteers and leadership of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, Tarrant County Health Department, Texas Extension Service, Tarrant Regional Water District, Texas Parks & Wildlife, and Weston Gardens. The website that provides in depth information on selecting and caring for water-conserving plants was later sponsored by several municipal water districts.
This website provides resource information and suggestions for planning and caring for a sustainable xeriscaped landscape. They have a huge plant database that is searchable by type of plant such as trees, shrubs, ground-covers, and grasses. When searching for just the right plants, a viewer can specify ornamental color, size, water requirements, sun requirements, and wildlife value.
The SmartScape® resources include pictures of local landscapes that practice water conservation-based planting to give the viewer ideas and inspiration. Xeriscaping is smart and works to everyone’s benefit. It is no more difficult to have a smart landscape than one that drains our natural resources.
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