In some regions that only get little or sporadic rainfall throughout the year, drought-tolerant landscaping has become a highly popular choice for many homeowners. Others even made it mandatory, imposing fines and also offering rebates and incentives to residents who actively participate in water conservation efforts.
They do so by replacing their water-heavy lawns with gardens that only require minimal watering. If you’ve seen homes with a helpless-looking yard despite those luxury garden or greenhouse rooms they have right at the center, chances are the homeowners are on their way to add more gravel, permeable paving and river stones to their outdoor space.
They’ve probably stopped watering their lawns and switch to perennials that can thrive without daily irrigation. If you reside somewhere where water shortage is a huge issue, making conservation efforts should be a priority.
However, this doesn’t mean you’ll have to contend with a dried, neglected garden. This, of course, isn’t the only thing you should go when having a garden built for the dry season. Now, there are some options available for reduced-water gardens that are just aesthetically pleasing.
Here are some ideas you can try.
Use artificial grass instead of a real one
The highest maintenance, water-loving item in any yard is the grass. Now only do you have to regularly water it, but you’ll also have to mow, aerate, mulch, fertilize, reseed, and re-sod it to make sure it stays green and healthy.
If you’d like to skip all those extra tasks, replace your grass with artificial ones. Thankfully, the market is now filled with options that no longer resemble football fields. You can look for realistic-looking artificial grass that comes in colored hatches.
Step up your hardscapes
To create a stunning landscape, you have to incorporate both softscape and hardscape to your overall design for that improved curb appeal. This should definitely be a priority for many owners of water-conservation gardens. With a natural hardscape, you’ll be able to connect your landscape with a building.
This, in turn, creates softer architectural features and focuses more on materials and textures. This isn’t exclusive to plants, however. You also have to include hardscape elements such as rocks, gravels, wood, and pavers, among others.
After all, landscapes aren’t just about the plants, and having more means you’ll have to do more maintenance.
Go for ornamental grasses
You don’ always have to choose those lawn grasses that look like green blankets. There are other drought-tolerant options out in the market and work really well for low-water gardens. Here are some of the best choices you have if you’re looking for beautiful yet low-water decorative grasses: Little Bluestem, Purple Fountaingrass, Fountain Grass, Blue Fescue, Blue Oatgrass and Pampas Grass.
When planting grass, make them look natural by mixing them up. Use grasses in varying heights and add in some of the colorful ones for that pop of color that aren’t just from flowers.
To create your own drought-tolerant landscaping, you don’t have to take on the project all at once. Don’t be afraid to experiment on plants and hardscapes that won’t require a lot of irrigation. After some time, you’ll be able to own a garden that’s not only low maintenance but drought-tolerant as well.