Transforming Your into a Xeriscape

Bill Melvin of What is Xeriscaping?

tolerant for  Environmentally friendly  A focus on native  What’s appropriate for our region

This is NOT Xeriscaping….

1) Show Photos of Lyons neighborhood

Cool Photo Why Conserve Water?

IT’S A FINITE SOURCE….

CONSERVE, RECYCLE, SUPPLY Where is our Water Used?

 11 % toilet  9 % clothes washer  8 % shower  7 % leaks  6 % faucet  2 % other  1 % bath  1 % dishwasher  55 % … How Much Water ?

 The U.S.- Avg. household uses 1- acre foot of water (325,851 gal’s) per year.

 Colorado- Avg. household = 131,000 gal / yr. Water for

 Avg. Landscape- Approx. 70,000 gallons of water for irrigating our landscapes in suburbia.

 Xeriscape – you can get your water use down to approx. 10% of this to 7,000 gallons of water use… OR LESS!

7 Principles of Xeriscaping 1) Planning and Design- the most important phase. Getting it Right the 1st time! 2) Practical Turf Areas- sized appropriately. 3) Group of similar water needs together. 4) Proper soil amending- essential! 5) Appropriate - many to choose from 6) Efficient Irrigation- and maintenance 7) Landscape Maintenance- protect your investment Planning and Design • Bubble Diagrams are Great •Advanced Design Details- scale! •Follow Your Design- or else •Right for the Right Place MOST IMPORTANT… HAVE A PLAN

CRC’s Garden in A Box

 Your Design is Complete! Practical Turf Areas

 Turf type tall fescue  Buffalo grass  Gramma grass  Nature’s prairie turf  YES, even Bluegrass!

Is Grass Necessary For You?

 Edible and Native Landscape  Small strip of Buffalo Grass- curbscape

Grouping Plants

• Similar water requirements should be planted together. • Irrigation Modifications… if you know what you are doing! • Over watering some plants can create problems!

Proper Soil Amending! •THE Most important part of the Landscape Install! •Feed the Soil and the Soil Will Feed the Plants! •Cultivation & Aeration •- home, local municipality, local suppliers

Mulching

MANY BENEFITS! • Stone vs. wood/ organic •Keeps moisture in, keeps the weeds out, cools the soil, minimizes erosion,… • BUT, the most important element is…

Efficient Irrigation

•What is appropriate? •Overhead vs. Drip •Pop ups vs. Microspray

Landscape Maintenance

• Protect your Investment!

•Budget for it •Need to know your weeds

Landscaping… it is Tough Work

SWEAT EQUITY Makes it more rewarding, but no getting around… it is just hard work!

The Transformation Process

 Selecting the right location  Deconstruction- this may be toughest part  Proper Grading & Drainage!  Soil Amending  Irrigation- main parts  Planting & Irrigation  Mulching, then…  Maintenance

Working with a Budget

• Know the Reality – more than most people imagine! • Creative ways- friends, cheap materials, Craigslist! •The Right tool for the Right Job! •Get material costs and determine how labor costs can be achieved.

Selecting the Right Location

 Where do you want a new garden?  Where don’t you need lawn?  Kids play habits, shade patterns, aesthetics  What makes sense?

Turf Removal Processes

 Sod Cutter  Sheet  Tilling  Solarization

REMEMBER- Pre-Irrigate the turf

Local Rental Companies

 Sunbelt Rentals

 Taylor Rents

Sod Disposal Facilities

 Compost it!  Pioneer, Midwest Materials, Colo. Materials  Local municipal facitlity

Soil Preparation

 Organic matter = compost  Various kinds  Bulk- MidWest Materials, Colo. Materials, Pioneer  Bags- Maxfields  Mushroom compost  Spread 1”-3” deep  Cultivate into soil Irrigation Retrofit

 Transforming from overhead to drip  From the manifold/ valve box  From a head- must be a Rainbird 1800 series  Choosing your garden from a zone/ half a zone?  Some work before planting, some after

Water/ Cost Savings

 Weather Stations- Can further your water savings… - $450 investment installed. - Approx. 2-4 year payback -Bring water use down to 3,000- 5,000 gallons / yr. - Annual Irrigation Budget = Less than $50/ yr.

Plant Selections

• Proper Size- , Perennials, Ground Covers •Natives- you can’t go wrong… they just like it here! •Edibles- more water, but… •Good Resources- Invaluable! •Reality of Neonicotinoids • Particular Needs? Sun, shade, either?

The Right Plant…

High Use- 20 gal’s / sf/ growing season

Moderate Use- 10 gal’s / sf / g.s.

Low Use- 1-3 gal’s / sf / g.s. Xeriscape Resources CRC’s Garden in a Box

 Plants already chosen for you  Proper design and layout  Lovely collection of plants  Plant profiles, care instruction… & Cost Effective!

Beyond Beauty…

 Consider the birds, the bees, the butterflies, the Earth! Mulching

 Keeps moisture in, weeds out  Feeds the soil  Various options- wood chips, shredded cedar, etc. Hardscaping

 Does not need watering  Create an outdoor living space  Many material options- Flagstone, pavers, pea gravel.  Permeable – infiltrate water into the Earth Hardscaping

1) Patio’s- Over 300 days of sunshine, why not? 2) Path’s- flagstone, pea gravel, crushers 3) Stone Mulches- can be practical in some uses Additional Considerations

 Water catchment  Dry creeks  French drains  Swales  Rain

Waterwise Landscaping… it just makes sense! GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN!!!