Xeriscaping is the act of creating naturalized gardens using plants, flowers, shrubs and trees which are acclimated to the particular area you live in. Xeriscaping is becoming very popular, because when you create your garden based on flowers and plants which grow naturally in your area, you end up needing to water and care for them much less.

Xeriscaping is particularly useful for creating gardens that need little to no watering, and it’s used the most in the desert southwestern area of the United States, because water is quite scarce in those areas.

When most people start thinking about how to create a garden which uses little to no water other than natural rainfall amounts, they immediately think of creating a cactus garden. Cactus gardens can be quite beautiful in and of themselves, but this is not the only way to create a beautiful garden which doesn’t need supplemental watering from you. Here are two of the more effective.

Method One -

An excellent way to help reduce the amount of water your plants need is to buy special water crystals to add to your garden soil. These crystals are designed to absorb and hold water for long periods of time - usually about two weeks - so that you can water your plants less yet still have them be healthy and beautiful.

The water crystals absorb water each time you water your garden, then they slowly release that water to the plants over time. You can buy potting soil which already has these crystals added, or you can buy the crystals themselves and add them to the existing areas of your garden where they are needed most.

Method Two -

You can also help your garden plants and flowers conserve water by simply giving them a good thick layer of natural mulch. Use dead leaves, dry grass clippings, sawdust, wood chips, or even tree bark pieces to cover the ground around your plants. This covering will help keep the soil from drying out quickly and you won’t need to water your plants as often, even in the dry heat of summer. The mulch will also protect your plants from the winter cold, too.

Needless to say, plant choice can also have an impact on water needs.

Cactus are plants which probably have the lowest water needs of any kind of plant, and there are many which are quite beautiful throughout the year. Most cactus plants create blooming flowers, and many of them change to various colors in different seasons too.

There are many other types of plants which require very little water to thrive, in addition to cactus plants. Other gorgeous plants grow quite well even in the worst of the drought seasons. These low water plants are often very unique, and they can really make your garden stand out from the neighbor’s.

Some of the best plants to use for low water gardening needs are the Desert Mallow and the California Poppy. These often have flowers which range from light peach to orange in color, but you’ll sometimes see them in other shades, too.

The leaves on these plants may seem a bit strange to someone who has never seen them before. They’re a paler green color and they’re a bit hairy. These plants draw butterflies and hummingbirds so they’ll be an excellent addition to your xeriscaping garden plans.

Tink

*In my dreams, all the flowers are in bloom…*

We are having a garden for the first time in about 3 years. We cleaned out 2 of our 3 raised beds, and boy, were they in bad shape after years of neglect!

We have basil and tomatoes in one bed and peppers (LOTS of sweet banana peppers) in the other. Right off the bat, we were having problems with the peppers being nibbled, probably by bugs!

I remembered that in years past, we always planted marigolds in the beds to ward off insects and we hadn’t done that this year. Hmmm….. Jeffrey picked some up the next time he went shopping and we put them in… and saw an instant improvement. Who’d a thunk?

My current plan is to get the third bed cleaned out this year, so it is ready to go for next year. I figure we can work on it a bit at a time.

Jeffrey is working at White Hall State Historic Site again this year. He and our BEAUTIFUL Singer 1906 Lotus treadle machine, Miss Kathleen, are there as *Living History*. He actually makes the costumes for the tour guides on the treadle machine.

He works in the warming kitchen and has been spending the mornings putting in small herb gardens around the doors. He has also bee working in the gardens around the Stone Kitchen on site.

He and the Park Manager went to an Herb Farm in Frankfort, KY last week and bought plants for the gardens. I have decided to start saving my pennies to buy next year’s Basil there. Jeffrey said their stock was outstanding. I’ll check on the name and add a link later on.

Tink

*In my dreams, all the flowers are in bloom…*