Top 5 Drought-Tolerant Landscaping Projects
Published on: September 01, 2023
As we continue to deal with rising temperatures, the importance of sustainable practices becomes increasingly evident. One area where we can make a significant impact is in our landscaping choices. Drought-tolerant landscaping not only conserves water but also offers stunning, low-maintenance alternatives to traditional lawns and gardens. In this blog post, we’ll explore the top 5 drought-tolerant landscaping ideas that allow us to create beautiful outdoor spaces while preserving our precious water resources.
What is Drought-Tolerant Landscaping?
Drought-tolerant landscaping involves designing and cultivating outdoor spaces using plants, materials, and techniques that require minimal water resources to thrive. It focuses on creating visually appealing and sustainable landscapes that can withstand periods of water scarcity and contribute to water conservation efforts.
Learn how drought-tolerant landscaping can remake your fragile, water-guzzling garden into a bold, attractive, refreshing oasis.
Top 5 Drought-Tolerant Landscaping Projects
- Decrease the size of your lawn. Considering the water-saving potential, alternatives like artificial turf become an appealing choice due to its complete lack of water requirements.
- Add landscape rock groundcover. Materials like decomposed granite will elevate even small gardens by improving design and adding versatility.
- Install a rock water feature. Beautifully shaped boulders with water flowing out of them help refresh a dry landscape, adding water just where (and when) it pleases the eye.
- Distribute low-water plants like succulents among landscape groundcover. These are not only adapted to the desert climate, but their exotic blooms create drama against the groundcover.
- Add mulch to retain moisture where you need it. Mulch conserves moisture in the soil, reduces evaporation, and suppresses weed growth.
1. Decrease the Size of Your Lawn
Decreasing your lawn size has many benefits, especially in drought-plagued areas. Consider that even a 100-square-foot lawn will drink up to 365 gallons of irrigated water a year – if you only water it once a week. It’s the equivalent of eight 20-minute showers. In a water crisis, which would you rather have?
Replacing sod with artificial turf is an excellent alternative for those who can’t live without their patch of green. Artificial grass requires no water, which is about as drought-tolerant as you can get! Learn more about this process by reading our “How to Install Artificial Grass” blog post.
2. Increase Landscape Rock Groundcover
Landscape rock requires no water and it comes in a variety of colors, textures, and sizes, making it incredibly versatile. By rock groundcover, we typically mean such products as decomposed granite, crushed stone and gravel, river rock and pebble, and even sand.
Using landscape rock groundcover in drought-tolerant landscaping provides an attractive and low-maintenance solution that conserves water by reducing the need for frequent irrigation while adding texture and visual interest to the outdoor space.
3. Install a Rock Water Feature
It may seem counterintuitive, but water does have a place in drought-tolerant landscaping. Like having a patch of grass (real or artificial) in your yard, a rock water feature gives the property a focal point to rest and refresh the eyes. Its effects are psychological for humans and beneficial to thirsty wildlife.
You may expect to lose a gallon a day in evaporation, but there are ways to circumvent that: first, by placing the running water feature under shade; and second, by turning it on only when you are there to enjoy it!
Southwest Boulder & Stone has an extensive ready-to-go fountain collection made from various unique boulders. You also can also choose a specific boulder from any of our locations for your water feature, and we will customize it for you.
Popular Stone Fountains:
4. Use Low-Water Plants Like Succulents With Groundcover
Low-water plants like succulents and cacti can add a lot of interest to a drought-tolerant landscape, and their seasonal flowerings can be spectacularly dramatic. As we say in our 7 Best Rocks for Your Succulent Garden post, succulents “offer an endless variety of striking colors, shapes, and textures to delight the eye.”
We recommend surrounding them with equally dramatic stones, like boulders, angular crushed rock, and smooth, rounded stones like river rock and pebbles. Succulents have shallow root systems, so you don’t have to dig far to plant them.
5. Add Mulch for Retaining Moisture in a Drought-Tolerant Landscape
Bark, mulch, and topsoil play a crucial role in drought-tolerant landscaping by conserving moisture in the soil, reducing evaporation, and suppressing weed growth. It absorbs rain and irrigation water, holding it just above ground, which keeps the soil soft enough for the plants’ continued root growth.
Its insulating properties help regulate soil temperature, creating a more favorable environment for drought-resistant plants to thrive in water-scarce conditions. In our blog post, 3 Most Popular Mulch Options for Your Yard, we examine how different mulches work for different types of landscape challenges.
Designing Drought-Tolerant Landscapes for a Water-Conscious Future
Drought-tolerant landscaping is a creative and responsible way to transform outdoor spaces while conserving water. From decreasing lawn size to experimenting with xeriscaping and succulent arrangements, there are countless ways to design stunning landscapes that thrive without excessive watering.
By adopting these drought-tolerant landscaping ideas, we can contribute to a more sustainable future while enjoying the beauty of nature right outside our door.
