Creating a beautiful, low-water landscape is easier than you think! With increasingly hot weather becoming a consistent feature of Pacific Northwest Summers, there’s never been a better time to explore water-wise gardening practices.
Often called ‘Xeriscaping’, water-wise gardening focuses on conserving water in the landscape through thoughtful plant and material selection and smart gardening practices. From selecting drought-tolerant plants and increasing planting density, to finding new ways to water more efficiently, the fundamental ideas that make up water-wise gardening can be implemented in virtually any setting.
Whether you want to plant your new landscape to conserve water from the start or take your existing garden in a more drought-tolerant direction, these are the best practices for setting up your garden to use less water. Each water-wise gardening solution works individually, or you can piece them together to create a sustainable, low-water landscape.
Use some or all of these water-wise techniques to create a beautiful, low-water landscape:
Drought-Tolerant Plants for Water-Wise Gardening
Drought-tolerant plants can withstand warm temperatures and intense sun without requiring excessive water usage. Though a number of mechanisms contribute to drought tolerance in plants, there are a few key characteristics to look for:
Hairy or Grey Leaves
Thick, Succulent Leaves
Waxy Coating on Leaves
Feathery, Fine-Cut Foliage
Aromatic Foliage
Deep Taproots
Native plants that are climate-adapted to the Pacific Northwest and grow in full sun environments make excellent choices for water-wise gardens. For more recommendations on drought-tolerant plants, review our curated list of the 7 Best Drought Tolerant Plants!
Plant Layout & Design Tips for Water-Wise Gardening
In order to use water efficiently in the landscape, plants should be grouped together rather than planted with blank spaces. Planting densely helps create specific zones where water should be used and minimizes the amount of blank soil where water can evaporate.
- Group plants with similar needs so water can be distributed throughout the garden in a more effective manner, and certain zones can be prioritized over others depending on the time of year.
- Increase the density of planting to establish a “living mulch” effect, reducing overall water evaporation as well as weed growth.
- Create a layered garden with trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, and groundcovers to provide shade to each layer and increase humidity within the immediate area.
- Add more veggies to raised beds than the seed packets or plant labels recommend to increase productivity and reduce water usage.
For more water-wise garden design ideas, check out our blog on how to design a Mediterranean landscape, or find inspiration from our blog on Bohemian, modern meadows.
Mulching to Conserve Water in the Landscape
Mulch, whether from bark, compost, gravel, or groundcover plants, is one of the most effective ways to reduce the amount of water that is lost from gardens when they are watered. Pacific Northwest gardeners are often faced with heavy clay soil that holds water in the wet season, but repels water in the hot, dry Summer, making mulch in Summer all the more necessary.
- Use compost as mulch to improve soil and plant health. Compost improves the water-holding capacity of soil alongside the texture, microbial life, aeration, and drainage.
- Types of mulch based on design aesthetic:
- Gravel will give your low-water landscape a Mediterranean or Modern look.
- Wood chips and softer groundcovers help emphasize a Cottage or Bohemian style.
- Bark or hazelnut shells are an excellent top dressing for Traditional or PNW gardens.
- Keep mulch 2-4 inches away from the trunk or base of plants for ideal plant health, and use mounded mulch around the dripline to keep water in place.
For more information and ideas on how to mulch your garden, visit our blog!
Watering Strategies for Low-Water Landscapes
Drought tolerant, water-wise and xeriscaped gardens are not water-free landscapes, they are low-water landscapes! Though they may be tough and tolerant of hot, dry, sunny environments, drought-tolerant plants still need water—they just use less water and are more efficient with it.
- Provide regular, deep watering on all new plantings to help establish deep roots and set them up for long-term success.
- Water deeply to encourage root growth and recharge the soil with water that roots can access during periods of heat.
- Water in the mornings to minimize plant stress and water loss from evaporation.
- Avoid frequent, shallow watering as this can cause root rot or lead to immature roots. Many drought-tolerant plants are particularly sensitive to soggy or constantly wet soil conditions, especially in heat.
Visit our blog for more tips on how to water your garden effectively!
Lawn Alternatives for Water-Wise Landscapes
Turfgrass is typically the most water-intensive part of any landscape and uses much more irrigation than planting beds. If your goal is to reduce your water usage in the landscape, look at ways to reduce or eliminate your lawn altogether.
- Reduce lawn area by expanding your planting beds.
- Allow your lawn to go dormant in the Summer.
- Switch to water-wise or clover-dominant lawn seed mixes.
- Remove lawns in favor of seating areas, water features, or more planting beds.
Lawns, especially in areas where they are unused, can easily be replaced with equally attractive and much more sustainable lawn-free landscape solutions, and our Residential Design Build Department is happy to assist you with ideas and installation!
Water-wise gardening is a beautiful, sustainable way to manage your landscape. Whether you choose to incorporate more drought-tolerant plants, introduce more density into your planted areas, reexamine the ways you’re watering, mulch your beds, reduce your lawn, or all of the above, we want to help! Visit our Portland-area Garden Centers for drought-tolerant plants and high-quality watering tools, or get in touch with our Residential Landscaping Division to make your garden more water-wise!