It was a blazingly hot summer in the Washington, D.C., region, where I live. For weeks rain was scarce, the temperatures soared above 90 degrees F, and the sun was unforgiving. Fortunately, we had a wet spring. That made things uncomfortably soggy for a while, but at least there was plenty of water to keep my lawn and garden going when it needed it.
The weather’s not like this every year. Some summers, the rain just doesn’t show up, while other years bring home the fact that the nation’s capital really is built on a swamp. We just never know what the new season will bring. That’s why I think xeriscaping is just commonsense landscaping.
Installing a landscape that gets the greatest use out of the least amount of water—a xeriscape—is a good move in any climate or region. Even places like the usually rainy Pacific Northwest suffer from an occasional drought.
Xeriscaped yards also are homeowner friendly. They tend to be lower maintenance because they emphasize native plants that grow easily in the local environment and minimize the amount of lawn area. Less mowing sounds like a good thing to me, and it probably will sound good to your clients.
Contributing editor Cheryl Weber dug into the details of xeriscaping for “Water-Smart Landscapes”. The story is filled with practical ideas for creating custom landscapes that make environmental sense. The issue also profiles two very different custom homes situated on two very different sites—one wet and one dry—that detail how their designers and builders coped with the environmental challenges. So dig in. The issue’s filled with information that can help you surround your next project with environmentally sensitive and sensible outdoor spaces.
