INTRODUCTION TO XERISCAPE by: Curtis Manning
SEVEN BASIC PRINCIPLES OF XERISCAPE
1. PLANNING & DESIGN
2. SOIL IMPROVEMENT
3. LIMIT TURF AREAS
4. USE OF MULCHES
5. USE LOW WATER DEMANDING PLANTS
6. EFFICIENT IRRIGATION
7. APPROPRIATE MAINTENANCE
1. PLANNING & DESIGN
WHAT ISN’T XERISCAPE … SOUTH FACING SEVERELY SLOPED LAWN WHAT ISN’T XERISCAPE … SOUTH FACING SEVERELY SLOPED RIP RAP WHAT ISN’T XERISCAPE … “ZEROSCAPE” XERISCAPE CASE STUDY – WESTMINSTER RESIDENCE
LANDSCAPE WATER USE STUDY – 2010 (Study a cooperative venture between the homeowner, The City of Westminster Planning Department, and Mountain Spirit Studio – Landscape Architecture)
DOUGHERTY RESIDENCE 11700 West 106th Place Westminster, CO 80021
NOTE:
The target property has a modest size plot of Tall Fescue grass, about 380 SF (19’x20’), in the back yard. The front yard has an urban meadow of Blue Grama grass. The balance of the site features low water requiring trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses, and groundcover. The site also has a raised bed garden area and fruit trees.
Property #1, a comparative property, features a landscape having no lawn grass at all and is about 30% larger in size. The other two landscapes are more traditional in style and plant material use and slightly smaller in total landscape area than the target. XERISCAPE CASE STUDY – WESTMINSTER RESIDENCE (con’t)
COMPARISON: The target property total water cost (indoor plus outdoor) for the summer of 2010 was compared to three other residences nearby in the community.
DATE TARGET Prop. #1 Prop. #2 Prop. #3
5/12/2010 $4.57 $9.34 $13.11 $35.70 6/11/2010 $16.12 $19.76 $67.08 $48.88 7/12/2010 $22.46 $25.98 $115.76 $47.12 8/10/2010 $16.87 $13.11 $137.71 $39.47 9/8/2010 $13.11 $13.11 $62.06 $35.70
TOTAL $73.13 $81.30 $395.72 $206.87 (37% the use property #2)
2. SOIL IMPROVEMENT
3. LIMIT TURF AREAS
CONVERTING FROM IRRIGATED LAWN TO XERISCAPE GARDEN
Sample Water Saving Calculation: Removing 500sf (25’x 20’) of Kentucky Bluegrass lawn GreenCo’s recommended rate of water application in Colorado (based on historical data): May: 1”/week June: 1.5”/week Total water application based on these rates: 29” water per year July: 1.75”/week August: 1.5”/week (in addition to the average precipitation of 17” per year) September: 1”/week October: .5”/week -29” of water over 500sf equals 1208 cubic feet of water -1208 cubic feet of water is equivalent to 9036 gallons of water -accounting for irrigation inefficiencies there would be a savings of roughly 13,900 gallons of water each year TURF ALTERNATIVES – OTHER GRASS SPECIES
Grass Species Options: -Blue Grama Grass -Blue Fescue -Buffalo Grass -Little Bluestem -Many Larger Grasses
Ground Cover Options: -Thyme -Veronica -Snow-In-Summer -Iceplant BLUE FESCUE CLOSE UP
TURF ALTERNATIVE – BUFFALO GRASS
-Buffalo Grass Lawn with xeriscape behind TURF ALTERNATIVE – BLUE GRAMA
WINTER SUMMER BLUE GRAMA LAWN
THE SAME BLUE GRAMA LAWN – REALLY DRY SOIL Blue Grama Lawn BLUE GRAMA LAWN - BEFORE BLUE GRAMA LAWN - SEEDLINGS BLUE GRAMA LAWN
AFTER CLOSE-UP NO LAWN - PATIO AREAS REQUIRES NO WATER 4. USE OF MULCHES
BEFORE & AFTER XERISCAPE PROJECTS
BEFORE & AFTER XERISCAPE PROJECTS -LOTS OF WOOD MULCH ONE YEAR LATER . . .
ONE YEAR LATER . . .
BEFORE & AFTER XERISCAPE PROJECTS BEFORE & AFTER XERISCAPE PROJECTS - LOTS OF GRAVEL MULCH ONE YEAR LATER . . . 5. USE LOW WATER DEMANDING PLANTS
XERISCAPE COMBINATION
-Blanket Flower -Catmint -Russian Sage XERISCAPE COMBINATION
-Blue Spruce -Desert Four O’Clock -Echinacea -Russian Sage -Catmint -Blue Avena Grass XERISCAPE COMBINATIONS
-Desert Four O’Clock
-Whirling Butterflies
-Double Bubblemint
-Native Verbena
-Blue Avena Grass DENVER RESIDENCE
BEFORE XERISCAPE PROJECT
AFTER XERISCAPE PROJECT
MATURE XERISCAPE
-Yarrow -Aster -False Red Yucca -Primrose -Russian Sage -Native Verbena -Sunset Hyssop -Mockorange AFTER XERISCAPE PROJECT
-Coreopsis -Aster -Echinacea -Ornamental Oregano -Yarrow -Hot Pink Salvia -Prairie Drop- Seed Grass
6. EFFICIENT IRRIGATION
6. EFFICIENT IRRIGATION
7. APPROPRIATE MAINTENANCE
SPECIAL SITUATIONS
- DESIGN STYLE – HARMONY BETWEEN THE HOME AND THE LANDSCAPE -Xeriscape doesn’t have to be ‘naturalistic/organic’ in style to look succeed
- TREE LAWN AREAS
- WINTER INTEREST DESIGN STYLE
BEFORE XERISCAPE PROJECT
-Check out those astro-turf steps! AFTER XERISCAPE PROJECT
-The landscape is in harmony with the residence and setting BEFORE XERISCAPE PROJECT
-Weedy Unkept Lawn AFTER XERISCAPE PROJECT
-Xeriscape is in harmony with the residence and setting RAISED BED XERISCAPE
-Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass -Pike’s Peak Purple Penstemon -Catmint -Dianthus -Double Bubblemint -Russian Sage TREE LAWN
DENVER TREE LAWN - GROUND COVER PERENNIAL GARDEN
-completely native plant palette DENVER TREE LAWN - GROUND COVER PERENNIAL GARDEN DENVER TREE LAWN - GROUND COVER PERENNIAL GARDEN DENVER RESIDENCE XERISCAPE - TREE LAWN LATE & EARLY SEASON INTEREST
SEASONS – LATE FALL XERISCAPE
-combination garden with various shrubs, ornamental grasses and perennials LATE FALL XERISCAPE
-Lamb’s Ear
-Autumn Joy Sedum
-English Lavender LATE FALL XERISCAPE
-Lamb’s Ear
-Autumn Joy Sedum
-English Lavender LATE FALL XERISCAPE
-Lamb’s Ear
-Autumn Joy Sedum
-English Lavender CURTIS MANNING DESIGN
Introduction to Xeriscape presentation copyright-
Curtis Manning Design
403 E. Emma Street Lafayette, CO 80026 [email protected]
720 635 9398