Rethink Xeriscape!
It’s time to rethink Xeric!
Xeriscaping is not covering your landscape in rocks and gravel. It’s not boring and lifeless.
Xeriscaping is full of life with plants that are adapted to our region and climate. These are mostly native, water-wise flowers, grasses, and shrubs.
Xeriscape doesn’t mean no water. It means less water…a lot less than conventional lawns. Xeriscaping is full of biodiversity, supports local ecosystems, builds healthy soil, and protects urban habitat. It does all of this while using a fraction of water than a traditional landscape.
Covering our landscapes with rocks and gravel, instead of a rich diversity of plant life, is harmful to our environment and ecosystems. This is especially detrimental in urban areas where city heat domes are reaching higher temperatures due to parking lots, pavement, ground covered in rocks, and artificial turf. Plants and trees serve as natural cooling systems and have been proven to reduce heat island effects.
When we use rocks in our landscapes, the soil is usually covered in landscape fabric first to prevent weeds. Unfortunately, this is a temporary fix to suppressing weeds. The addition of landscape fabric compacts soil and kills important microbial life. Oxygen, water, and nutrient exchange is drastically reduced in soil covered with fabric and rocks.
Eventually, the rocks will have to be sprayed with toxic herbicide to suppress weeds. This impacts everything else in the surrounding environment - soil, insects, water, air, pets, and you.
Without living landscapes, important urban habitat is lost. Most of our Colorado native bees are ground nesters. They’re unable to nest in ground covered with landscape fabric, thick gravel, and rocks coated in herbicide.
Rocks and gravel don’t capture carbon. This occurs via photosynthesis, which requires abundant plant life, preferably native plants with deep root systems. Robust root systems help store carbon in the ground where it belongs. The sequestered carbon helps build healthy soil, which in turn creates resilient landscapes that can stand up to our climate challenges and dwindling resources.
We can all make a difference by reconsidering what we do in our urban landscapes given our continually changing climate and intense summer heat waves. There’s a time and a place for rock fields. It’s not in your landscape. There’s a healthier solution to reducing water while supporting biodiversity, protecting ecosystems, and capturing carbon.
Out with the old Xeric and in with the new! Let’s bring life back where it belongs!
Additional Resources:
Reducing Heat Islands, United States Environmental Protection Agency
Honeywood Garden Design helps your create and build regenerative landscapes.
