In the previous blog, we covered how to prepare your garden for xeriscaping by removing the lawn, improving the soil, and installing an irrigation system. This week, we look at the planting and decorating aspects of creating a drought tolerant garden.
Plant strategically
One of the key elements of xeriscaping is using the pre-existing landscape to inform the outlay of your garden. Before you begin planting, take a good look at the landscape of your yard and make a note of the sunniest areas, where water pools and connects, and how the ground naturally rises and falls. If your garden slopes, then terracing is an ideal solution as it is ideal for water efficiency and also helps give your garden shape. Meadow planting is another great way to keep the water requirements of your garden low, and they require very few nutrients.
Choose native plants
When it comes to choosing low maintenance, drought tolerant plants for your garden, native varieties are almost always the best way to go. Plants that are native to your area have a distinct advantage over imported varieties as they have adapted to the local weather conditions and soil. By and large, native plants are able to subsist on rainwater and have the added advantage of being more resistant to local pests whilst encouraging bees and butterflies to your garden.
If you don’t like the look of natives, succulents and cacti are a great low maintenance option for every garden. There is an enormous variety of cacti and succulents available in Australia, including brightly coloured, pet friendly, and flowering varieties.
Use sculptures to make a statement
Instead of using large water hungry plants like roses to make a design statement in your backyard, consider using a garden sculpture to make a bold visual statement instead. Metal, wooden, or concrete sculptures look fantastic alongside the subdued colours and bold shapes of native plants and require little to no maintenance.
Maintain
Although drought tolerant gardens are low maintenance, they do require a degree of care. Maintaining the a xeriscaped garden involved watering the plants in the height of summer, keeping up the mulching to ensure maximum water retention, and pruning to ensure optimal plant health and minimise disease.
A Better Driveway specialise in installing decorative concrete solutions such as exposed aggregate around Melbourne. Our colourful, and aesthetically pleasing concrete is the ideal landscaping solution for drought tolerant gardens. To learn more about our services, call 03 5783 4746.