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Water-saving landscapes are more than just rocks
Texas
With water bills going up every year, should I replace my lawn to save money? How can I fix my landscape? What options do I have? These questions are in the minds of a lot of people, especially when they start thinking about spring preparations for their homes and yards.
"But the truth is a water-saving landscape does not have to be just a bunch of rocks placed around the backyard with a cactus in the middle," said Daphne Richards, Texas Cooperative Extension horticulture agent for El Paso County. A water-saving landscape is one that considers the conditions of local surroundings and enhances them. Such landscapes will be inherently low maintenance, because plant material is chosen for its adaptability to the site, Richards explained.
Instead of large turf areas, a "natural" landscape should be composed of native plants, ornamental grasses, hardy perennials, bulbs, wildflowers and other well-adapted plant material.
However, two things seem to keep people from even considering designing their own landscape: creativity and cost, she said. Some people may already have specific ideas about what they want, while others may need to get ideas from looking at other gardens or photos in magazines.
The cost of a new landscape can vary, but it should be seen as an investment rather than an expense. According to the National Gardening Association, good landscapes can increase the value of a property between 5 percent and 18 percent. With gardening and landscaping becoming one of the fastest-growing areas of the how-to market, a lot of homeowners are searching for advice from experts.
In El Paso, Extension is offering a landscape design class that teaches participants the principles of landscaping, xeriscaping, plant selection and maintenance, soil testing, and irrigation strategies. The three-week course is held once per year at the Extension office at 1030 N. Zaragosa Road. Participants learn the basics of landscape design from local landscape experts and get an individual half-hour consultation to go over their designs.
"It is fantastic to see how excited people get when they start learning about landscaping and proper gardening techniques," Richards said.
"People enjoy learning even about the little details; for example, they are so amazed to find out that irrigating their trees at the base of the trunks is a mistake because of the way the root system spreads out.
"Two common landscape design mistakes are using too many plants and planting them too close to each other or to permanent structures," Richards said.
Consider carefully the mature size of each shrub or tree, she said. Sun exposure and pruning style will affect the mature size and thus spacing.
Some novice designers will also use colorful perennials and flowering shrubs in excess. It's fine to include color, but also insure a pleasing, unified landscape by the proper use of form, texture, scale and other elements of design, Richards said.
People with gardening questions or interested in enrolling in the next landscape design class can contact the Master Gardener hotline at the Extension office at 915-859-7725.
Date: 4/1/04
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