Join Me to Learn About Xeriscape Gardening

by Dorothy Reinhold on April 29, 2014


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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m a life-long gardener, which it is easy to be when you live in Southern California. Our growing season is 12 months long, and we have a generally moderate climate so many things grow here that might be difficult to cultivate elsewhere.

However, we do have a water problem. While we’ve always had to be water-wise, we’re officially in a serious, historic drought now. We go months and seasons without rain, and when our rainy season consists of a few sprinkles, and our snowpack is depleted, we’re in big trouble.

I’ve always been a big fan of xeriscape gardening, which simply means that you are extremely water-wise in your garden. You choose plants that don’t need supplemental water from irrigation, or need very little. These would be plants that have water requirements roughly matching the local climate. In a xeriscape garden you also grade the garden and mulch to take advantage of retaining what rainfall there is.  

Xeriscape Gardening | www.ShockinglyDelicious.comWhen we bought our house in the 1980s, I insisted on a xeriscape garden that would need sprinkling no more than once a week during the very driest periods. Over the years, there have been some rainy months where I didn’t have to use the sprinklers at all. I think back on those as the good years.

The word xeriscape comes from “xeros” (Greek for dry) and “landscape.” You could call it dryscaping, drought-tolerant landscaping or smart scaping, instead. Call it what you will, but xeriscaping is here to stay, whether in drought-afflicted Southern California or other areas of the country where water is expensive and not plentiful.

There’s a whole class of plants called succulents that fit neatly into xeriscaping. Take a look at some succulents from my yard, and from my stroll around the neighborhood.

Xeriscape Gardening | www.ShockinglyDelicious.comSucculents tend to not only survive, but thrive, in low-water environments.

In fact, you can kill them with kindness by watering them too much. They like conditions that might be unacceptable to other ornamental plants.

They’re often more visually interesting, as well.

Xeriscape Gardening | www.ShockinglyDelicious.comSome people worry that if they plant succulents, their yard will be a boring, same-color wash of grey. Nothing could be further from the truth! 

Xeriscape Gardening | www.ShockinglyDelicious.comSucculents beat the heck out of a boring lawn, that’s for sure.        

Xeriscape Gardening | www.ShockinglyDelicious.comTo help bring xeriscape/low-water gardening the attention it deserves, I’ve partnered with Miracle-Gro and Scotts. Please visit our booth next weekend in the parking lot at Home Depot in Torrance, Calif. to discuss how you can use xeriscaping to beautify and make your landscaping more water wise.

Here are the details:

May 3, 9-noon
Home Depot

24451 Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90505

Mark your calendar and I’ll see you there!

Visit Sponsor's Site

{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

Christina Peters May 5, 2014 at 9:04 pm

I love, love succulents, yours look so great and healthy! Had no idea you were also such a great gardener.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold May 5, 2014 at 9:06 pm

Christina,
We can trade cuttings!

Reply

Christy May 2, 2014 at 9:49 am

Living in the Palm Springs area, xeriscape is really important. Great post, on how it can be so beautiful and not boring.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold May 4, 2014 at 9:28 am

Christy,
Yeah, you get less rainfall than we do, and we are dry, dry, dry!

Reply

Laura Dembowski April 29, 2014 at 12:36 pm

Your garden is beautiful! I love all different kinds of plants. I’m super jealous of your year-round garden, but hopefully I’ll have one soon too 🙂

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold April 29, 2014 at 2:20 pm

Laura,
Thank you so much! I love succulents.

Reply

Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought April 29, 2014 at 8:00 am

That is great. I have tons of succulents and I am always on the look out for new varieties. I think they are visually interesting and can make a yard look so creative. I am all for conserving water as well.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold April 29, 2014 at 2:20 pm

Cathy,
We can trade succulent clippings!

Reply

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