ROADMAP TO SUCCESSFUL XERISCAPE LANDSCAPING

PLANNING AND DESIGN

There is no single cookie cutter design to guarantee a successful xeriscape landscape.  Developing an appropriate design will mean the difference between success and failure.  Always try to work with the natural features of your landscape. 
Here are some of the issues you need to consider.

• Which areas of your garden have shade throughout the day?
• Which areas of your garden have shade during part of the day?
• How do your shade patterns change with the seasons?
• Which areas of your garden are open slopes that do not collect water?
• Which areas of your garden are flat and collect some rainwater?
• Which areas of your garden have natural water collection (low areas or areas with natural borders that facilitate water collection)?

The more you can make use of the natural, existing qualities of your terrain, the less reworking you will need to do.  Doing radical changes to your terrain can result in high labor and materials costs.  Homeowners sometimes find too that major changes to their landscape can result in higher long term maintenance or even that their efforts are slowly undone as their changes are sometimes not appropriate for their terrain.

The Xeriscape Landscaping Team