What is Xeriscaping?
Xeriscaping is a form of landscaping that conserves water and
protects the environment. It includes the use of plants adapted to
a particular region, as well as specific maintenance practices
designed to grow those plants in a healthy manner.
What does it involve?
There are seven basic principles involved in Xeriscaping.
- Planning and design. Take into account what already
exists and which functions you want your landscape to perform, such
as offering shade, color, or larger areas in which to play. Decide
which current plants will remain and which plants should be
purchased to introduce to your landscape.
- Soil analysis. What’s in the soil directly affects
how successfully plants will grow. You need to determine what is in
your soil and what you may need to add to grow healthy plants.
- Practical turf areas. Turf grasses require more frequent
watering and maintenance than most other landscape plants.
Carefully select grass according to its intended use, planting
location, and maintenance requirements.
- Appropriate plant selection. Different plants have
different requirements for sun or shade, water, and heat and cold
tolerance. Select plants appropriate to your region.
- Efficient irrigation. When you water, make sure that as
much water as possible is delivered where it will do the most good:
the plants’ root zones. Many sprinklers put out a fine spray
that is carried away by the wind. Look for sprinklers that put out
large drops that will fall to the ground, or consider drip
irrigation or soaker hoses to make sure that most of the water gets
to the roots.
- Use of mulches. Mulching moderates soil temperatures,
helps prevent water from evaporating from the soil, reduces weed
populations, and prevents soil compaction.
- Appropriate maintenance. Mowing and fertilizing
correctly and at the right intervals promotes healthy plants.
By putting these principles into practice, you can dramatically
reduce your household’s water use, especially during hot, dry
weather—and you won't have to sacrifice a healthy, beautiful
landscape to do it!
Where can I learn more?
Here are a just a few of many web pages with resources for
learning more about making your landscape a Xeriscape. These pages
will take you off the TCEQ web site. 
