When the word 'xeriscape' is mentioned, many people think of cactus and sand (as in the picture above) - or rock gardens with a few lonely plants scattered about. Mind you, both cactus gardens and rock gardens can be be quite attractive. But many people think that those are what xeriscaping involves. That is a false impression. You can have a landscape that is fully planted, colorful - and water-conserving. Nor do you necessarily have to have only drought-tolerant plants. The idea is to reduce overall water use by grouping plants with similar needs together - so you can have one area that uses more water than the environment naturally provides and another area where you need no extra water at all.

Advantages of Xeriscape

• Water saving: Using native and other drought-tolerant plants can significantly reduce water use.
• Money saving: Reducing water use can lower your water bill. Xeriscaping can also reduce maintenance costs - while adding to the beauty and value of your property.
• Time saving: Xeriscape landscaping can significantly reduce the time you spend watering, fertilizing and mowing. (Buy a hammock - you'll have more time to use it.)
• No worries: It's nice to be able to go on vacation for a few weeks and know your plants will still be alive when you return.

A Bit of History:

Early in 1981, the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) and Denver Water formed a cooperative task force on water conservation. Nancy Leavitt, an Environmental Planner for Denver Water, created the word Xeriscape during a group brainstorming session. The task force came up with the original definition of Xeriscape as "Water Conservation Through Creative Landscaping" and the seven simple principles by early 1982.

The seven principles are:

• Planning and Design for water conservation and beauty from the start.
• Create Practical Turf Areas of manageable size, shapes, and appropriate grasses.
• Select Low Water Requiring Plants and group plants of similar water needs together. Then experiment to determine how much and how often to water the plants.
• Use Soil Amendments as needed by the site and the type of plants used (we recommend using Gardner & Bloome Planting Mix for most situations).
• Use Mulches, such as Gromulch, to reduce evaporation and to keep the soil cool.
• Irrigate Efficiently with properly designed systems - and by applying the right amount of water at the right time.
• Maintain the Landscape Properly by mowing, weeding, pruning and fertilizing properly.

If you've just moved in to a new place and want a whole new landscape, consider xeriscape. We'd advise you, in that situation, to hire a professional landscaper to help you design the landscape - and to do the hard work for you. Doing a whole landscape at once is too much for most individuals. But you can use the 'bit by bit' approach or a simple substitution approach, and move your landscape gradually to xeriscape.

Maybe you have a problem area where it's difficult to keep your plants growing well, or an area that is difficult to irrigate. Perhaps you have an area of lawn that is difficult to mow or keep green. These are the types of areas to look at as candidates for starting a xeriscape landscape.

One of the major things to look at when xeriscaping is, "Can I get rid of some of that lawn?" Out of all the things we grow in our yards, turf is probably the biggest overall water-user. If you live in an area with a homeowner's association that requires you to have a certain percentage of lawn, at least make your long-term plans to get the lawn down to the minimal acceptable percentage (or try to get the rule changed).

When planning a xeriscaped area, keep in mind that curves are more natural (and easier to mow around) than sharp angles. Also look at the soil type, the amount of sun or shade, the elevation and ease of access.

Do you have some plants that do well in that area, even if neglected? Those may be good candidates for xeriscaping in that particular micro-climate in your yard. Remove, or move, plants that are not doing well and amend the soil before planting any new plants. Then mulch, and mulch, and mulch some more.

Keep in mind that even native and 'adapted' plants for our area will need extra water when first planted, until established. Once established, however, they will need much less maintenance than other areas.

We predict that, once you start, you may well continue until your whole yard (or as much as possible) is xeriscaped. You can then lie in your hammock, sipping a cool drink on those hot summer days, and watch your neighbors sweating over their vast expanses of turf.

An arrangement of fresh flowers will brighten a room, bringing the beauty of nature indoors. Picking fresh flowers that you have grown yourself is one of the delights of gardening, but whether you are picking your own flowers or buying cut flowers, you will want to do all you can to get the most from your arrangement.

Picking Flowers

When picking flowers from your garden, do so early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Cool them quickly by placing them in a bucket of water left in a cool place for an hour or so. This is especially important in hot summer weather.

Buying Cut Flowers

If you are buying cut flowers, look for bright, fresh-looking flowers that are just starting to open. Avoid flowers that have been standing in the sun or have been exposed to car exhaust fumes. Flowers with yellowing leaves on the stem or those with slimy stems have been in water for quite some time and are unlikely to be very satisfactory. When you get your flowers home, put them straight into a bucket of water without unwrapping them and leave them in a cool place to revive.

Clean Vases

Make sure your vases are perfectly clean. The stains in vases are usually bacteria that will get to work blocking the water uptake to the flower stems. Stains that are difficult to remove with normal cleaning may be removed by filling the vase with water and adding a few drops of household bleach. Allow the vase to soak for a couple of hours; then rinse well.

Clean Water and Preservatives

Clean water is essential for cut flowers. You can change the water in the vase daily or use a floral preservative. Check the vase often to see if it needs filling. Some flowers with woody stems drink a lot of water, especially in the first two or three days after cutting.

Preparing the Flowers

Daffodils, jonquils and tulips should not be placed with other flowers immediately after cutting because their secretions can block the stems of other flowers, causing their vase-mates to collapse. Place them in a separate vase for an hour or two. Then seal the tips of the stems by dipping them in very hot water before adding them to a mixed arrangement.

If flowers develop a bent neck, they probably have an air lock in the stem and are unable to absorb water properly. Recut the stems under water and place them in cool water for a couple of hours.

Most flowers absorb water best if cuts are made between nodes or joints. This is certainly true of carnations and hydrangeas. Never crush the stems, as the damaged tissue will not absorb water well, and the water will become polluted. Sharp, clean cuts are best.

When creating an arrangement from your garden, remember that foliage goes nicely with flowers - try some ferns or other greenery in your arrangement.