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Xeriscaping, a term that means "dry landscaping".
Having a garden is a great green effort. It helps cool down the temperature and provides a great visual experience – but not all gardens are always eco-friendly. With the hot tropical weather in Malaysia, our gardens can drink up a lot of H20, especially during the scorching hot days. In addition, usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides can damage the soil as these chemicals leach underground, and end up contaminating groundwater. So what do you do?
But xeriscaping (pronounced zeer-i-skay-ping), a term that means "dry landscaping," is becoming increasingly popular. This kind of landscaping is very evident in eco-friendly real estate properties like Eco Setia Park and Homes in Shah Alam. This is a response to more homeowners who are leaning towards more eco-friendly ways of landscape. Here's how you can have a garden that's green—in both senses of the word.
HOW TO GREEN YOUR GARDEN
Xeriscaping done right is sustainable and attractive, but accomplishing it requires a few additional steps
1. Ration your turf
Grass takes water, so think about limiting your lawn to areas that really need it and covering heavily trafficked spots with decks or walkways. Pick a water-efficient grass too. If you live in an area that isn’t conducive to green grass you may want to consider some sort of hybrid that can thrive with less water or choose some form of landscaping that doesn’t rely on large open patches of grass in order to be beautiful such as xeriscaping then that is quite probably a wise idea. The point is to make the house as attractive on the outside as you hope those viewing the property will find the inside.
2. Mulch away
Mulching—spreading material like wood chips or stone around plants—helps reduce evaporation, essential in xeriscaping. You can always get those bags of white or grey pebbles/stones from the nursery.
3. Count your drips
Even xeriscaped gardens need irrigation, especially in their early stages, but rarely as much as you think. Use a drip emitter, which supplies moisture more efficiently
4. Anoint your soil
Try adding 3 in. to 5 in. (8 cm to 13 cm) of organic material—like compost—to the top of your soil, then till it as deeply as possible to support growth
5. Choose a landscaper/landscaping company that practices xeriscaping.
Check out the landscaping company’s past experiences and projects in xeriscaping and always ask them for eco-friendly techniques in managing your garden or lawn. Don’t be shy to recommend something you read off the internet as it helps to also educate our local landscapers.
Below are some great websites to start with if you’re thinking of xeriscaping your garden. If you have tried xeriscaping, or anything close to it, do inform us of your experience(s).
Denver Botanic Gardens - 12 Xeriscape gardening tips
Waste Efficient Landscaping - Guide to preparing outdoor areas with drought tolerant plants to reduce water consumption. Also links to other xeriscaping resources.
Water conservation - Xeriscape resource for residents of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Xeriscape - Provides detailed information on water conservation through xeriscape techniques and plant selection, and on the demonstration garden in Colorado Springs.
Xeriscape Misconceptions - Mistaken beliefs often prevent acceptance of Xeriscape and these should be corrected.
Xeriscape Plan and Design - A guide to planning, designing, developing and maintaining a water-conscious landscape in Georgia.
Xeriscape Plant Selections and Ideas - North Dakota xeriscape information including zonal planting concepts, the importance of mulching, and lists of grasses, trees, shrubs, and flowers.
Xeriscape Plants - A few Xeriscape friendly plants provided by Aransas County Texas Cooperative Extension.
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