The Regional Municipality of Niagara - Designing A Water-Efficient Garden

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A landscape can be designed from the beginning to reduce the amount of resources needed to maintain it and the amount of waste it produces. Each region has different resource conditions, such as available water, soil type, temperature ranges, and lighting. By designing a landscape in an appropriate manner, selecting compatible plants and installing efficient irrigation systems, a balance can be achieved that fits both the aesthetic needs of the landowner or client, and the resource availability of the region.

Many times a landscape is “inherited” – it is already established and you are simply charged with maintaining it. A transition to a more resource-efficient landscape may be a possibility. However, long-term resource efficiency improves when you plan and prepare ahead of time.

Seven principles of Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping is based on seven interrelated principles. In many ways the principles are just overall good gardening practice. The principles can be applied to whatever extent you feel comfortable, and to the degree that the principles suit your landscape.

You can create a lush, colourful garden that requires little maintenance or water by applying the seven principles – an approach to designing landscapes so that their water requirements correspond to local climatic conditions. While these are sound principals for any garden, they are particularly useful if you live in a region with low rainfall or that experiences water shortages.

1. Design for your site and your needs
* A successful Xeriscape requires a well thought out plan. With planning you can go over the problems and potential of your property, you can determine how to use the garden; you can identify the conditions that will influence water use.

* Sketch your lot including property lines, buildings, driveways and features that will remain. Add trees, shrub and flowerbeds, lawn areas, patios, decks, etc. Consider the specific conditions of your yard, taking into account that water requirements will differ in shady versus sunny spots and slopes versus flat areas or depressions. Moisture availability for your plants will also differ according to your soil type. Sandy soils drain water whereas clay soils hold water. Some places, such as narrow side yards, may be hard to water.

2. Group plants with similar water needs to make watering more efficient
* Plants must be selected to suit the climatic and microclimate conditions, the intended function, the soil characteristics and the intended water use at the planting site. In addition plants should be grouped according to water needs, and low water demand plants are recommended for Xeriscaping.

* Shrubs and perennials should be grouped together in mulched beds. Trees should also be clustered in mulched beds rather than isolating individual specimens in lawn areas. This will help to reduce moisture loss and competition.

3. Amend the soil
* First, find out what type of soil you have and improve its water retention capabilities accordingly, for example, by adding compost or other organic materials. Soil conditions are critical in the success of a Xeriscape. Soil must provide support, air, water and nutrients to the plants or they will weaken. The texture, organic content, pH, drainage, salinity, and fertility are the important characteristics of soil that should be considered before planting anything. Some tips for soil improvement include using sand to increase drainage, using peat moss, manure or compost to improve moisture retention, and using organic fertilizer carefully for strong root growth.

4. Practical turf areas – size your lawn area to meet your practical needs for play and traffic
* Conventional lawns consume high amounts of water, and many lawns are much larger than required and are composed of high water demand grasses. It is possible to have a lawn and conserve significant amounts of water by sizing the lawn to meet your practical requirements. Eliminate grass in narrow strips and unusable areas, and plant shrubs or ground cover. Using dry land grasses in less critical areas is also a good Xeriscaping technique.

* Avoid many small or narrow lawn areas in favour of a consolidated lawn, to make them easier and more efficient to water. For primarily visual areas, consider water-efficient ground covers, perennials or shrubs. For foot traffic routes or narrow spots, such as side yards, a permeable inert surface such as wood chips or natural stone requires no water.

5. Appropriate plant selection – choose plants that are well suited to your climate and site conditions
* Plants must be selected to suit the climatic and microclimate conditions, the intended function, the soil characteristics and the intended water use at the planting site. In addition plants should be grouped according to water needs, and low water demand plants are recommended for Xeriscaping.

* Consult your local garden centre to find plant lists. Know your site including its soil types. In shady areas, use shade-tolerant species or consider a woodland shade garden. In sunny spots, use drought tolerant, sun-loving species or consider a wildflower meadow. Drought tolerant species should be used on rapidly draining slopes (avoid turf grass), but you can consider moisture-loving plants in depressions or low spots. For a water-saving lawn, choose a species best suited to rainfall levels in your region. Low maintenance lawn seed mixes are commercially available. Check your local seed companies or garden centre.

6. Use mulch
* Mulches are applied to the soil surface to reduce evaporation and to moderate soil temperature to reduce plant water use. Mulches also control weed growth and erosion. Bark mulch should only be used in areas where it is contained by curbing, to prevent heavy rains from washing it onto catch basins, which can plug up and contribute to flooding problems.

7. Use an efficient irrigation system and appropriate maintenance
* The amount of maintenance required in a garden is related to the amount of water applied. Overwatering contributes to rapid, weak plant growth, fertilizer leaching, insect/disease problems, and weed growth, all of which require maintenance. If water is efficiently applied in a garden, and Xeriscape principles are used, less maintenance will be required.

* Efficient irrigation means applying the amount of water that is required by a plant, when it is required, where it is required and with minimal wastage. Daily watering is rarely necessary except for with free-standing planters. Usually watering once a week (if it has not rained), even grass, is sufficient if the water is applied to the depth of the root zone. Water should also be applied at a rate at which it can be absorbed by the soil. Don't just “set it and forget it". If you have an automatically controlled system, adjust watering frequency and duration with the changing seasons - watering at the same frequency in April as in July is not efficient!

SOURCES: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC); City of Kamloops, British Columbia; California Integrated Waste Management Board; and Colorado WaterWise Council–Xeriscape Colorado

Contact Information

Niagara Region
2201 St. David's Road
P.O. Box 1042
Thorold, ON L2V 4T7
Canada

Phone: 905-685-1571 or 1-800-263-7215
TTY Phone: 905-984-3613
Fax: 905-687-4977
Email: info@nrh.ca

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