Our Power, Our Planet – Round Tres ‘Xeriscaping’

Of course, xeriscaping saves water. But we have the power to actually cool our planet using xeriscaping!

Xeriscaping is a cactus or agave plant and rocks all over, right?  To put it bluntly, NO. This type of landscape will burn plants and raise ambient temperatures. It is an environmental disaster!

Xeriscaping that works for you, your landscaper, your city, and our planet is built on 4 key elements.

Everything stems (lol) from soil.  Soil must be healthy, have good structure, and be well drained. Austin soils are either slowly draining clay near or East of I35, quickly draining dry and rocky west of I35 or sandy river bottoms. Soil amendments are needed to set a healthy base for plants.

Use drought tolerant plants. Low water use drought tolerant native and adapted plant choices abound for Austin. Strictly native is not always necessary. Understand that even, and sometimes especially drought tolerant plants can take up to a full 2 years to fully establish. Drought tolerance often means slow growing.

Water plans should efficiently deliver moisture to reduce runoff, evaporation, and under or overwatering.

Spread non-dyed bark mulch to keep every drop of moisture held available to plants in the soil, and to impart nutrients as the mulch decays. Austin’s sun index turns rock mulch into plant destroyers and amps up ambient temperatures.

Combining elements of healthy soil, appropriate plants, good irrigation, and bark mulch will produce a xeriscape that is easy to care for, saves water, benefits native creatures, and really cools our neighborhood, city, and planet! It’s chill to cool!!!

Use your power at Leaf Landscape Supply today to create your own cooling design using our plants, mulches and MicroLife organic healthy soil products. Our knowledgeable Leafies are here and happy to help!