Sustainable Garden Basics

Xeriscape is a way to save water in our arid climate of Colorado Springs. Xeriscape is a word derived from the combination of a Greek word "Xeros" meaning dry and "scape" from the word "landscape."

This may be the most remarkable moment in the history of landscaping. Serious gardeners are beginning to look at the impact of their gardens and are realizing that they can have a beautiful landscape without making excessive demands on the environment their pocket books and the people who do this type of work for a living. You might call it the "Post-Xeriscape Era," since we've come to understand that there's more to having a low-impact landscape than just saving water and having your lawn mowed.

Today, we look at the things that flow into and out of a landscape and try to minimize their use. For example, a typical garden requires a number of resources for its construction - concrete, lumber, plants, compost, PVC irrigation pipe and so forth. There will be additional inputs needed for the maintenance of the garden, such as water, fertilizer, fuel to operate power equipment, pesticides and herbicides, to name a few. A garden also generates materials that may be harmful to the environment, such as lawn clippings, tree and shrub pruning (collectively referred to as "green waste"), polluted runoff of chemical-laden water and others. The idea behind sustainable landscaping is to develop ways to reduce these inputs and outputs without sacrificing beauty, economy and ease of maintenance.

As you'll see in this article, a sustainable landscape can actually be less costly and easier to maintain, because it's designed correctly. Far from being a sacrifice, developing a sustainable landscape can bring you rich rewards and beauty you may not have thought was possible. Enjoy this brief introduction to sustainable landscaping and please call if you have any questions

Principles of Xeriscape will assure an attractive, healthy landscape with just the right amount of water.

1. Plan and design comprehensively
   Have a plan. Find out where things are. Consider the view, slope, exposure and soils of the area. Take into account the existing vegetation and topography of the site and intended use. Decide where things will be. Decide when things will be done. Most landscapes are best done in phases.
2. Evaluate soil and improve if necessary
   Soils can vary within a given site; an analysis based on random sampling can provide information for plant selection and soil amendments. The soils in Colorado Springs range from clay to sand, and both are low in organic material. Whether clay or sand, the soil in your landscape will benefit from the addition of sphagnum peat moss, compost, aged manure or other decomposed organic materials. This will improve root development, water penetration and retention. Improve the soil before planting and installing the irrigation system.
3. Create practical turf areas
   The type and location of turf areas should be considered a major design element of the landscape. The selection and location of turf should be decided on the same basis as other plantings, such as your purpose and function of the landscape. The reduction or elimination of high-water-use turf areas, and locating them separately so that they may be watered more efficiently, can result in significant reductions in water use.
4. Use appropriate plants
   Most plants have a place in Xeriscape - even those that have high water needs. Plant selection should be based on the intended use in the landscape. Use of more plants with low water needs and native plants will allow the maximum water conservation.
5. Water efficiently
   If an irrigation system is to be installed, it should be well planned and well managed. Turf areas should be watered separately. Group plants with like water needs, and water each group on separate zones. Not all plants need the same amount of water. Irrigation needs change with the season and the weather. Irrigate according to the needs of the plants rather than watering on a fixed schedule. Even plants used in Xeriscape will require supplemental irrigation until they become established (two or three years).
6. Organic, Organic, Organic when possible
   Mulch minimizes evaporation, reduces weed growth, slows erosion and helps prevent soil temperature fluctuations. Organic mulch such as wood chips or bark is best, and although this mulch will decompose slowly over time, it will improve the soil by adding nutrients. The use of plastic is not recommended because it will cause organic mulch to slide and prevent air and water from filtering into the soil. Runoff will be increased. Inorganic mulch, such as rock, should be used sparingly. Surrounding a home with rock will increase the temperatures, making the environment too warm for plants and people.
7. Maintain appropriately
   Proper pruning, weeding and fertilization, plus attention to the irrigation system, will preserve and enhance the quality of Xeriscape. A landscape adapted to the environment will require less maintenance, less fertilizer and reduce the use of pesticides and other chemicals.

Materials
When selecting materials for the construction of your landscaping, first consider re-using all the recourses available for free but also things such as railroad ties, broken concrete for walls and other cast-offs. Use your imagination and remember that rustic materials often look great in an outdoor environment.

Always consider recycled products. One of the interesting new materials available is plastic "lumber" made from recycled milk and soda bottles; it's attractive and durable and comes in a number of colors.

Where you must use new materials, make renewable resources your first choice. Even natural materials can be a problem. For instance, decomposed granite is strip-mined from natural or formerly natural areas. Remember too that even renewable materials come from somewhere - using redwood lumber means trees had to be cut down.

Reduce the use of decks made from redwood, high-tech patio furniture and other consumptive goods.

Always ask yourself, "Where did this come from?" If you don't know the source of something, ask questions.

Whatever you use, be sure it will be durable. Build to last. It's better to use more materials doing something right than to cut corners and have to re-do your work in a few years.

Water
Select from among the hundreds of varieties of attractive water-efficient plants, many of which have become available only in the past few years. Use native species whenever possible, or plants from other Mediterranean climates.

Plant less densely - don't try to fill up every square inch with plants. This will balance the biomass - the quantity of water-using vegetation - with the available rainfall. Reduce lawn areas to just what you'll actually use. One thousand square feet of lawn or less is adequate for most families. Beware of claims about "drought-tolerant" or "low water-use" lawn grasses - there's no such thing. Hybrid Bermuda grass is the lowest water-use turf grass variety on the market, but it still needs quite a bit of water, compared to water-efficient landscaping. Consider turf a luxury best used in moderation.

When you plant, incorporate organic material into your soil to improve its water-holding capacity. Your own compost is best, but there is rarely enough to go around. Buy the best quality compost and make sure it's neutralized to prevent damage to your new plants. Avoid wood shavings, sawdust, fresh manures, or mushroom compost.

After planting, be sure to apply mulch on top of the soil. You can use bark, crushed rock or other attractive materials. Mulch helps keep the soil from drying out, discourages water-stealing weeds, hides drip tubing, keeps the dust down in summer, provides a safe walking surface and looks better than bare ground.

'Be sure your irrigation system is efficient - design your lawn sprinklers so they don't apply water faster than your soil can soak it up. Place sprinkler heads so they will water only the lawn, with a minimum of overspray. Use drip for everything but lawn areas. Avoid planting sheets of herbaceous ground cover that must be sprinkled; use individual plants and a drip system instead. Drip systems use a tiny fraction of the water that sprinklers do.

Use a controller for the lawns - it can be cycled to prevent runoff and save you the trouble of turning valves on and off all the time. For the drip system, think about whether you want a controller or not. Most controllers make you water every week or two and that is too much for many drought-tolerant plantings. There are valves available that can be set manually and will shut off after delivering a set amount of water - this is often a better approach for drip.

To conserve rainfall, use permeable paving or slope paved areas towards planted areas. Consider grading to allow rainwater to pond and soak in (make sure this will not cause erosion problems).

Last but not least, do not over water. Check soil moisture before irrigating and apply only what the plants actually need.

Chemicals
Choose plants that don't require a lot of fertilizer to keep them healthy, and that are naturally resistant to pests and diseases. This will reduce the need to feed and spray. When you do feed, use organic fertilizers or, even better, compost produced from your own trimmings. Use safe pesticides or biological control methods such as beneficial insects that prey on pests.

Others
Fossil fuels are used to deliver materials to the site, to transport workers (including gardeners) to and from the job, to operate power equipment such as mowers and chainsaws and to haul away refuse. A less obvious use of fossil fuels is in the production of fertilizer and many garden chemicals. Sustainable landscaping reduces these demands.

Landscaping can also reduce energy use inside the home. Properly located shade trees can provide climate control, reducing heating and cooling costs. Trees and shrubs used as windbreaks can also moderate the microclimate in and around the home.

Landscaping can provide or enhance habitat for wildlife by supplying food, shelter and nesting materials. (Remember to preserve natural areas whenever possible.)

Finally, landscaping can mitigate fire hazards by providing greenbelts of low-fuel vegetation around homes.

In Conclusion
Remember sustainable landscaping is based on common sense and good design. It's about stability - creating something that works because it's in harmony with the environment and has an internal system of checks and balances. It's not perfect - you'll still need to use resources, but in a much more sensible way. Done right, landscaping can be a part of the solution, not part of the problem.