What is Xeriscaping, and How Does it Affect the Environment?
- InspiringGreenLiving
- Aug 12, 2022
- 5 min read
Hi everyone, and welcome back to Inspiring Green. If you're new, then welcome for the first time. I appreciate your presence here and am grateful for the opportunity to educate you on something new. Thank you for joining me. I would like to remind all of my guests that Inspiring Green is a tool for you to use to educate yourself on different environmental topics. This is a no-judgment zone. Hell, half of the time I learn something new writing these blog posts. I often find new snippets of information I didn't know previously. This is a free resource for you. Save it. Share it. Hoard it. As long as it is of use to you. I hope you learn something new with me here today. I hope this encourages you to take steps in your life to further educate yourself or perhaps change some habits of yours. Regardless, enjoy your time here, and let us settle into today's blog post. This post is about Xeriscaping, how it affects the environment, and, thusly, how it affects you.
First and Foremost, What is Xeriscaping?
According to Miriam-Webster, Xeriscaping is
"a landscaping method developed especially for arid and semiarid climates that utilizes water-conserving techniques (such as the use of drought-tolerant plants, mulch, and efficient irrigation)."
Essentially, this technique uses native plants to your area in your landscaping, thus using less water because these plants have already adapted to your area's climate. The grass is a very water-demanding lawn style, so by using xeriscaping, you are using less water to maintain your yard. Rocks can also be used in place of mulch.
How Is Xeriscaping good for the environment?
Above is an example of Xeriscaping. Still incredibly beautiful, but diverse and drought resistant. As you can see, rocks are used in between plants instead of grass. This conserves a LOT of water. The plants are desert specific, so they are resistant to drought and hot temperatures. They require significantly less water to survive, thus drastically reducing the impact this lawn has on the environment, especially in times of drought.
In places like California, implementing landscaping like this is incredibly important, beneficial, and crucial to the water and environment. The California Department of Water Resources states, "California is no stranger to drought; it is a recurring feature of our climate. We recently experienced the 5-year event of 2012-2016, and other notable historical droughts included 2007-09, 1987-92, 1976-77, and off-and-on dry conditions spanning more than a decade in the 1920s and 1930s." Drought.gov has a map showing the levels of drought anywhere in the United States of America, but this link is specifically for California. In places like Fresno, they are listed as being in "D4 Level Drought - Exceptional Drought." 59.8% of California is in a state of Extreme Drought (Levels D3-D4). If you zoom out on the map, you can see that the West and South are being plagued by moderate to severe levels of drought, but also that the rest of the United States of America is experiencing some level of being "Abnormally Dry." The world is getting hotter and hotter each day. Climate.gov states that "Earth’s temperature has risen by 0.14° Fahrenheit (0.08° Celsius) per decade since 1880, but the rate of warming since 1981 is more than twice that: 0.32° F (0.18° C) per decade. 2021 was the sixth-warmest year on record based on NOAA’s temperature data." This ever-increasing heat is causing these changes - climate changes - to our planet, resulting in things like longer tornado seasons, more powerful hurricanes, droughts, and severe flooding. However, implementing Xeriscaping into a common practice for everyday people like you and I can help offset these effects. Significant changes must happen in our lives, but this can be one of them. Using less water for irrigating inefficient lawns allows water to run to cities, to peoples' homes, and to nurture the natural environment and its inhabitants.
Okay, why would this benefit me?
Other than what is listed above, Xeriscaping is an opportunity to save money on your water bills. By using less water on your lawn, you are obviously using less water overall and that will reflect on your monthly bills. Not only is xeriscaping an opportunity to save you money, but it is also an opportunity for you to plant native wildflowers to support your local pollinators. Even if you dedicated a smaller portion of your yard to something like Xeriscaping, it will still affect your pocketbook and your environment in a positive way. By planting even a small section of xeriscape landscaping, you will be saving that much more on your water consumption bills. Plus, with lots of places experiencing drought, using less water on grass allows for more water elsewhere. As I explained above, less water required for your lawn means more water available for other more essential operations and the environment.
Using Clover instead of Traditional Grass for your Lawn
I have seen a few posts, some found on the social media app known as TikTok. In areas where landscapes like the one above are not so common, clover can be used. It has been seen to be more drought resistant and requires less management than traditional grass lawns. The TikTokers, @renovatingourhome (Angelina and Skyler) have a clover lawn. Click HERE for a link to their video comparing clover lawns to their neighbors' grass lawns. And click HERE for their explanation as to why clover works for them as well as how it is more environmentally friendly than traditional grass lawns! Of course, do your own research to see if clover is a good option for you where you live, as well as if there could be any negative environmental impacts on your area.
So, how do I go about Xeriscaping? First and foremost, you'll need to do a little bit of research. Look up plants that are native to your area, and start planning. You can draw out a map of your yard and plan where to put things, or you can wing it. But the most important part is learning what plants are native to your area. The last thing you want to do is try to help your climate and local pollinators and accidentally bring in an invasive species instead. You can meet with a local landscaper if that would work better for you. You can tell them what you want, why, and plan accordingly.
I want to thank you all for reading this blog and spending part of your day learning about xeriscaping and the positive impacts it has. Thank you. You are so appreciated. Remember, this is a free resource for you and anyone else to access at any time. Share it. Save it. Reread it. But please, enjoy it. I hope you found some helpful knowledge here today. Have a great week everyone.
- Inspiring Green
Informal Works Cited
1. California Department of Natural Resources - Drought Records
2. Drought.gov - Drought map for the state of California
4. Grass vs. Clover - TikTok Video
6. TikTok
7. Why Clover is More Eco Friendly - TikTok
8. Definition of Xeriscape
Formal Works Cited
California, State of. “Drought.” California Department of Water Resources, California Department of Water Resources, 11 July 2022, https://water.ca.gov/Water-Basics/Drought.
“California.” Drought.gov, NOAA, NDIS, https://www.drought.gov/states/california.
Dahlman, Rebecca Lindsey AND LuAnn. “Climate Change: Global Temperature.” NOAA, Climate.gov, 28 June 2022, https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature#:~:text=Earth's%20temperature%20has%20risen%20by,based%20on%20NOAA's%20temperature%20data.
“Grass vs. Clover.” TikTok, 20 July 2020, https://www.tiktok.com/@renovatingourhome/video/7122573806744456494?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en. Accessed 30 July 2022.
“How to Get Started with Xeriscaping.” Love Your Landscape.org, https://www.loveyourlandscape.org/expert-advice/water-smart-landscaping/water-saving-tips/how-to-get-started-with-xeriscaping/.
“Make Your Day.” TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/.
“Why Is Clover More Eco Friendly?” TikTok, 29 May 2022, https://www.tiktok.com/@renovatingourhome/video/7103239536154660138?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en. Accessed 30 July 2022.
“Xeriscape Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/xeriscape.
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