by Cam McLennan, Island Pro Mowing and Landscaping Inc. –
Xeriscaping, or drought-tolerant landscaping, as it’s also referred to, is the practice of creating yards, gardens and landscapes that reduce or eliminate the need for artificial watering throughout most of the year. This is accomplished by the implementation of more hardcaped areas and also by choosing very specific types of drought-tolerant plants.
With the water restrictions homeowners face on an annual basis, many have started looking for alternatives to a water-hungry lawn or garden. If you’ve got that patch of lawn or section of your property that just doesn’t seem to thrive and remains a dead zone throughout the summer, then it’s probably a great candidate for a xeriscaping project.
Some of the more popular ways to convert a yard or garden into a xeriscaped area are by removing dead sections of lawn or garden beds and replacing them with beds of river rock or pea gravel. Another popular option is to replace a section of lawn or garden with a new patio or a meandering pathway or another type of hardscaped surface that eleminates the requirement for constant watering.
Xeriscaped landscapes don’t have to be dull, boring and colourless! There are dozens of plant options at local nurseries, and there you also have the option of choosing some of the many drought-tolerant native plants that we have on the Island.
Native plants are generally easier to care for (because they grow here on our Island naturally), require minimal watering and will look beautiful in the right setting, although they may not be as exotic looking as some other options.
These new xeriscaped areas can also be accented using other natural elements we’d find in nature such as rocks and boulders of varying sizes or even driftwood sourced from a local beach.
The CRD has put together an excellent online resource for property owners on the Peninsula and Greater Victoria area which can be found at: https://www.crd.bc.ca/education/natural-gardening. They share a number of different articles on native and drought-tolerant plants and other ideas for a landscape that consumes less water.
If you’re done with trying to keep up with those areas of your property that just don’t ever seem to look good no matter how much watering or gardening time you put in, then maybe it’s time you considered a xeriscaping project. You’ll reduce the amount of maintenance required for your yard and garden, conserve a little (or a lot) of water and improve the look of your property.
For more information visit www.islandpromowingandlandscaping.ca.
