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Marg Evans Gardening in Dryer Times - Try a Xeriscape Garden May 11, 2007

Planning your garden, adding to or wanting to re-do an area? Why not consider planting an easy maintenance garden area where little watering and weeding are needed? With hot dry summers usually in the forecast, it may be time to reconsider the "large lawn" and try something new. A Xeriscape garden will allow you more time to enjoy your garden, and takes less time and money to maintain. The word Xeriscape comes from the Greek word "xeros" meaning dry and "scape" from landscape. In an xeriscape landscape plants that are native to our drier area and need less water are a good choice. Native trees and shrubs also offer local wildlife familiar and varied habitat. There are many ground covers, annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees that do well in dry climates. Contact our Water Wise staff for more details on specific plants.

When planning your garden, consider grouping any plants that need more water in one area, preferably on the north or east side of your house or slope in your garden. For the very hot dry areas of your garden, consider succulents. Succulents prefer a lean (no compost) well-aerated, gritty soil with good drainage. You need only water these plants during prolonged drought.

If you currently have a large lawn, think of reducing it to a size that meets your requirements and try to avoid narrow strips of grass. When planning a lawn, bluegrass lawns can go dormant (brown off) for several months during warm spells with little or no long-term damage. A good alternative to a lawn is planting ornamental draught hardy grasses and ground covers. The ideal soil for water conserving landscapes, achieved by keeping your soil well aerated and increasing the organic material, is one that drains well and stores water.

Once your xeriscape is set up, water only in extended periods of drought. Over watering will contribute to rapid growing, weak plants, leaching out the goodness from the soil, and can predispose your garden to insect/disease problems. Frequent, shallow watering destroys deep roots of lawn and garden plants, leaving only the shallow surface roots, which are susceptible to draught. Lawns in our area do well with a once a week deep watering (30 minutes is usually enough) or a half-inch of rain every two to three days. You can tell when your grass needs watering - when walked on it should spring back, if not, it is time to water. Let your lawn grow longer, three inches is good, as taller grass keeps the soil cool and growth slows down as it gets taller, so less cutting.

Watering trees will depend first on the type - is it a drought-hardy Douglas Fir, Mountain Ash or Sumac? For these trees only in extreme drought do they need water: you need only to look at the forests they are thriving in. With trees that need more water, be sure to mulch the ground around them, but do not cover any visible roots or the trunk. A rule of thumb for watering your garden trees that need moderate watering is ten gallons of water for each inch diameter of tree trunk, once a week for smaller trees, once every ten days for medium trees, and once every two weeks for large trees. This would mean for a tree with a two-inch diameter, water five minutes with a soaker hose or ten minutes with a small sprinkler set at its base. Realize that the less lawn and garden to cut, weed and water, means more time for you to enjoy your garden! For more information on Xeriscape gardening online try: www.ec.gc.ca/water/e_main.html or www.kamloops.ca/water/xeriscape.shtml or contact us at the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society office, home of Water Wise (project currently funded by Eco Action) at 250-398-7929. Water is life . . . Use responsibly.

First published in Williams Lake Tribune
- Marg Evans, Coordinator, Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society

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Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society
Unit 201, 197 2nd Ave North Williams Lake, B.C., V2G 1Z5
Phone/Fax: 250 398-7929 • ccentre@ccconserv.org • Coordinator: Marg Evans

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