Xeriscaping

An example of xeriscaping outside the United States Capitol in Washington, DC.
The Xeriscape Demonstration Garden at the headquarters of Denver Water in Denver, Colorado.

Xeriscaping is the process of landscaping, or gardening, that reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation.[1] It is promoted in regions that do not have accessible, plentiful, or reliable supplies of fresh water and has gained acceptance in other regions as access to irrigation water has become limited, though it is not limited to such climates. Xeriscaping may be an alternative to various types of traditional gardening.[2][3]

In some areas, terms such as water-conserving landscaping, drought-tolerant landscaping, and smart scaping are used instead. The use of plants whose natural requirements are appropriate to the local climate is emphasized, and care is taken to avoid losing water to evaporation and runoff. However, the specific plants used in xeriscaping vary based on climate as this strategy can be used in xeric, mesic, and hydric environments. Xeriscaping is different from natural landscaping, because the emphasis in xeriscaping is on selection of plants for water conservation, not necessarily selecting native plants.

Xeriscaping produces greenspaces that require low amounts of maintenance and irrigation, and promote biodiversity; however, due to societal norms and lack of landscape understanding, public perception of xeriscaping has frequently been negative, as some assume that these types of landscapes are ugly expanses of just cactus and gravel.[4] However, studies have shown that education in water conservation practices and xeriscaping's benefits can greatly improve the public's perception of xeriscaping.[5]

  1. ^ "xeriscaping". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  2. ^ Weinstein, Gayle (1999). Xeriscape Handbook: A How-To Guide to Natural Resource-Wise Gardening. Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing. p. 55. ISBN 1555913466.
  3. ^ Caldwell, Elizabeth (15 July 2007). "With xeriscaping, grass needn't always be greener". USA Today. Archived from the original on 10 December 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ McKenny, Cynthia; Terry, Robert Jr. (October–December 1995). "The Effectiveness of Using Workshops to Change Audience Perception of and Attitudes about Xeriscaping". HortTechnology. 5 (4): 327–329. doi:10.21273/HORTTECH.5.4.327. Archived from the original on 18 December 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2014.