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Xeriscaping a Backyard: The Seven Principles Applied

Xeriscaping is zoning, soil prep and plant choice, not gravel and cactus. How to convert a backyard without ending up with a hot empty lot.

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A mass of columnar cactus with ripening fruit against a bright sky
Photo: ELG21, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay
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Xeriscaping is zoning, soil and plant choice. The gravel-and-boulder yards people picture are a different thing — zeroscaping — and they are the failure mode, not the goal.

The seven principles, as decisions

principlethe decision it asks for
Planning and designWhere is shade, sun, slope, runoff? Draw it before buying plants
Soil improvementCompost into planting beds; lean grit for succulent beds
Efficient irrigationDrip on a timer, zoned by water need, not a lawn sprinkler
Appropriate plantsRegional natives and adapted species, grouped by thirst
Practical turfKeep what is walked on; size and shape it for the sprinkler
Mulch3–4 in everywhere, to shade soil and hold moisture
MaintenanceLess, not none — weeding, deadheading, occasional pruning

Zoning, which does most of the work

  • Oasis zone: right by the house or patio, where you see it daily. The thirstiest plants, on drip, kept small
  • Transition zone: moderate water, established after year one, the bulk of the planting
  • Arid zone: the far reaches. Native and adapted species, no irrigation after establishment

Putting one thirsty shrub in the arid zone forces you to irrigate the whole area, which is how water budgets get blown.

Gravel everywhere makes the yard hotter

A large expanse of stone stores and re-radiates heat, raises the temperature against the house, and leaves nothing for soil life. Use gravel as a mulch between plants or on paths — not as the landscape.

Converting a backyard, in order

  1. Map sun, shade, slope and where water runs after rain
  2. Decide the turf area you actually use, and mark it out
  3. Remove the rest of the lawn — sod cutter, or smother with cardboard and mulch
  4. Improve the soil in planting areas with compost
  5. Install drip on a timer, zoned by water need, before planting
  6. Plant in autumn or early spring, grouped by thirst
  7. Mulch 3–4 inches over the whole planted area
  8. Water consistently for the first season, then taper hard

What the saving looks like

  • Year one: little or no saving. Establishment watering is non-negotiable
  • Year two: typically 50 percent or more off landscape irrigation
  • Year three onward: 60 to 75 percent is normal, with the arid zone on rainfall alone

Common questions

What is xeriscaping, exactly?

A design approach that reduces irrigation to near zero by matching plants, soil and layout to the local climate. It came out of Denver Water in the early 1980s and rests on seven principles: planning and design, soil improvement, efficient irrigation, appropriate plant choice, practical turf areas, mulch, and maintenance. It is not a style and it does not mean gravel and cactus — a xeriscaped yard in a temperate climate can be densely planted and green.

Is xeriscaping the same as zeroscaping?

No, and the confusion causes most of the bad examples. Zeroscaping — the gravel-and-boulders look with almost nothing growing — is what people do when they mistake the goal for removing plants rather than removing irrigation. It gets very hot, reflects heat into the house, kills soil life and is unpleasant to sit in. Xeriscaping keeps plants and uses them to shade soil; the water saving comes from choosing the right ones.

Does xeriscaping mean no lawn at all?

No — the principle is practical turf areas, not zero turf. Keep grass where it is genuinely used, such as a play area or a path between beds, size it to that use, and shape it so a sprinkler can cover it without throwing water onto paving. Replace the decorative turf nobody walks on. In many yards that means going from an all-over lawn to a defined green area of a few hundred square feet with planted beds around it.

How much water does xeriscaping actually save?

Commonly 50 to 75 percent of landscape irrigation, which in a hot climate is the largest single household summer water use. The saving appears from the second year onward, because everything needs watering through its establishment season regardless of how drought-tolerant it will eventually be. Skipping that first-year watering is the main reason conversions fail and then get blamed on the plants.

Do I still need to improve the soil?

Yes, and it is the step most often skipped. Compost worked into planting areas improves water-holding capacity and the structure roots need, so plants reach deeper moisture and need less surface irrigation. The exception is a bed of true desert plants and succulents, which want lean gritty soil and rot in rich compost. Decide which kind of bed you are making before you amend it.

What should I plant?

Native and regionally adapted species first, grouped by water need so the thirsty ones share one zone and everything else is on its own. In hot dry regions that means plants such as agave, yucca, salvia, penstemon, lavender and ornamental grasses; in temperate climates it looks more like sedum, achillea, echinacea, euphorbia, thyme and birch. Your local extension service or botanic garden publishes a regional list, which is worth more than any national one.

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