5 Benefits Of Xeriscaping Your Yard

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If you're looking for ways to improve your lawn or curb appeal, you have come across something called "xeriscaping" and wonder what it is. Xeriscaping is a method of conserving water through creative landscaping, with much focus often placed on using drought-resistant greenery. Xeriscaping your yard is a great way to conserve water and offers plenty of benefits, particularly if you find yourself living in an area that goes through droughts, such as the Southwest. Xeriscaping is quickly becoming more popular as water becomes a precious commodity among land and homeowners in America. With this in mind, xeriscaping your yard is an excellent consideration to make, as it provides plenty of benefits.

1. Saves Water

One of the most appealing things about xeriscaping is that it saves water. Initially, xeriscaping was developed for areas that frequently suffered from drought. Over 50% of residential water is used in landscaping and maintaining lawns. Xeriscaping your yard can drastically cut down water use that is used for landscaping alone.

With limited access to water in mind, xeriscaped yards are often designed using plants that are drought resistant. Plan and research what types of native plants can withstand your environment, and do your best to design a yard that requires little water. By incorporating plants that are native to your area, you'll have a yard with greenery that's able to thrive with very little water or maintenance.

Additionally, using something like organic silt mulch, rather than grass, can also help in drastically cutting down water use. Using mulch also helps in conserving soil moisture while keeping the soil around your plants cool. Mulch also helps reduce weed growth.

2. Less Maintenance

With careful design and planning, your xeriscaped yard will likely require much less maintenance compared to a normal one. Aside from the occasional pruning or weeding, your yard will not need much work, and installing a simple irrigation system in your yard can provide all the water needed. Because a s xeriscaped yard requires little water, your plants will likely grow slowly, meaning not much time or work will need to be spent on caring for them on a regular basis.

3. No Pesticides or Fertilizers

Another great thing about xeriscaping is that you won't need to spend time fertilizing your yard or have to worry about pesticides, meaning your yard will be even more environmentally friendly and cheaper to take care of. By using plants native to your area in your garden, you'll eliminate the need for chemical supplements.

4. Improves Property Value

The cost of xeriscaping your yard is ultimately outweighed by the increase you'll see in your property value. A well-xeriscaped yard will not only have great curb appeal, it'll also be drought proof. Xeriscaped yards are appealing to many potential homeowners. Not only are people becoming more conscious of water consumption, they're also interested in becoming more environmentally friendly. A home with a yard requiring less watering or maintenance will likely find the property very appealing, especially since the water bill wouldn't be as high compared to a home with a traditional grassy lawn.

5. Pollution Free

By xeriscaping your yard, you'll no longer be polluting the environment with the heavy use of things like pesticides, herbicides, or gas lawnmowers that require the consumption of fossil fuels. By eliminating the use of chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides, the run-off pollution in your garden whenever it rains is reduced. Smaller turf areas in xersicaped yards can typically be maintained by using something like a reel mower.

The next time you feel like its time for a yard makeover, contact a landscaper or landscape designer and ask them about xeriscaping your yard. You won't regret making the switch to this beneficial type of landscape design!

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3 August 2015