Xeric Landscapes

Saving water can be costly. Here is why……

I probably have spoken to 500 homeowners or more about what it takes to go xeric. A couple times a month I get a call from someone who wants to tear out their front yard lawn and put in plants and ground cover. The reasoning is usually one or all of these; My water Bill is too high, I want a maintenance free yard, I want to be more responsible environmentally.

These are all great reasons to go xeric, but I usually ask how much water, or what do you consider maintenance free. More and more commercial new constructions are starting to incorporate xeric landscapes, but there are a few things to keep in mind as far as requirements go especially when grants, rebates, and municipalities go.

First is the plant coverage requirement. Trees do not count and usually there needs to be 50% or more mature plant coverage to satisfy any sort of grant or municipal standard. This can be a major cost driver. More plants mean more irrigation, so more parts and labor on top of the plants and labor to get there.

Xeric landscapes or landscapes without grass have removed an element that separates the interesting densely planted areas from the bulk of the landscape. This type of install has kind of upset the order of things if you will.

So, what do you do? Each landscape weather intentional or unintentional has a focal point. Something interesting or something that draws the eye and grounds the surrounding spaces. Designers and architects do this intentionally and it is what separates thoughtful design from everything else. Creating a focal point gives the Xeric landscape interest. This could be a dry creek bed, a boulder grouping, a water feature, a seating area, or something of interest. These elements are also cost drivers.

Xeric landscapes require a different type of maintenance. You may not be mowing and line trimming, but you will be cutting back perennials, blowing out beds and pruning shrubs.

So, what’s the cost? I tell people each SF or sod costs about $2.50 to install, and a Landscaped area (Plants, ground cover, etc.) costs from $9-12 a SF to install. The density of cost is much higher therefore you are paying for those water bills all upfront.

The alternative is to water responsibly; use efficient irrigation and lower the amount of lawn you have. I always tell people to have a good plan that they love even if they can’t afford to have it all today, they have a plan to work toward in phases. That way money isn’t being spent twice.