Xeriscape – Now more than ever installing a low maintenance, drought resistant landscape is something people are gravitating towards.
So many new homes are being built in the Texas Hill Country and more and more folks are moving towards xeriscape instead of traditional turf and shrub landscapes because they make sense. Here are a few things to remember when considering a xeriscape installation.
First know that the upfront cost may be more for a xeriscape simply because there will be little if any turf involved. Turf is one of the cheapest per square foot price items (up front anyway) that you can install in your yard which is why we see so much of it still being laid. You do have to factor in all the time, money and water that you’ll be expending to maintain your turf. River rock, crushed granite, decorative gravel and other typical xeriscape surfaces will need very little if any maintenance so you’ll probably be ahead cost-wise in the long run.
A good xeriscape installation requires a commercial grade non-woven weed control fabric to remain low maintenance, durable and attractive. Cheap woven weed barriers don’t hold up and because they’re woven they have tiny holes that allow all sorts of weeds to grow right through which means you end up with a bigger mess than if you hadn’t used any weed barrier at all. Plastic does not work either because over a short amount of time it keeps out not only weeds, but moisture and air which will cause the soil underneath to become sterile.
I can’t say enough about drainage. Make sure that the area you’re planning to xeriscape is graded correctly for positive drainage. Don’t wait until the gravel is installed to find out that you have low spots that pool water or worse, areas that drain toward the house.
We install new construction xeriscapes often in areas like River Chase, Copper Ridge and Vintage Oaks where the land is rocky and elevation issues abound. These large, treed lots are perfect for installing drought resistant landscapes since it takes so much water and installed topsoil to do a traditional landscape instead.
Xeriscaping makes sense and is the smart way to landscape in South Central Texas. Water is often in short supply, heat is abundant as are the deer and rocky soil. The most important thing to remember is make sure you have a good working plan to start with and that the installation is executed well with attention to the details. If you’d like to have NativeScapes design and install your xeriscape just give us a call today at 830.608.0204
