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Xeriscape

 
Dictionary: Xer·i·scape   (zîr'ĭ-skāp') pronunciation

A trademark used for a landscaping method that employs drought-resistant plants in an effort to conserve resources, especially water.


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Gardener's Dictionary: Xeriscape
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From the Greek xeros, which means “dry,” a water-conserving landscape design. Xeriscaping, as a word and a style, was developed in the early 1980s by the Denver Water Department as a way to landscape in an area that has chronic water shortages.

xeriscape

Wikipedia: Xeriscaping
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Xeriscape symbol

Xeriscaping and xerogardening refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental irrigation. It is promoted in areas that do not have easily accessible supplies of fresh water, and is gaining acceptance in other areas as climate patterns shift.

The word xeriscaping is a portmanteau of xeros (Greek for "dry") and landscape.

Plants whose natural requirements are appropriate to the local climate are emphasized, and care is taken to avoid losing water to evaporation and run-off. While many Denver Water employees helped coin the term xeriscape, Xeriscape and the xeriscape logo are not registered trademarks of Denver Water, the water department of Denver, Colorado.[1] They were created by the Front Range Xeriscape Task Force of Denver Department in 1978.[1] The specific plants used in xeriscaping depend upon the climate. Some common plants used in Western xeriscaping are agave, cactus, lavender, juniper, sedum and thyme.

In some areas, terms such as water-conserving landscapes, drought-tolerant landscaping, zeroscaping, and smart scaping are used instead.

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Cacti and other low water consuming plants are often used in xeriscaping.
  • Lower water consumption
  • More water available for other uses and other people
  • Less time and work needed for maintenance, making gardening simpler and less stressful
  • Little or no lawnmowing (saves energy)
  • Xeriscape plants along with proper bed design tends to take full advantage of rainfall
  • When water restrictions are implemented, xeriscape plants will tend to survive, while more traditional plants may be unable to adapt.

See also

References

  • University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Bulletin AZ1048
  • Landscape Plants for the Desert Climate, 2004, AMWUA

External links


 
 
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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Gardener's Dictionary. Taylor's Dictionary for Gardeners, by Frances Tenenbaum. Copyright © 1997 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Xeriscaping" Read more