Wildflowers such as Desert Gold Poppies and certain varieties of marigolds can be planted to provide ground cover. Owners can replace sections of lawn with groundcover such as flowering clover, as well. Clover will draw nitrogen from the air and will redeposit it in the soil through its roots. Clover is a hard working plant that helps provide for other plants. It also attracts bees for pollination. Clover requires very little maintenance or water, and help keep the soil from drying out under a harsh sun. Clover can be used in lieu of grasses such as St. Augustine or Bermuda both of which require a tremendous amount of water daily in the summer months.
Desert landscaping or xeriscaping, which means dry landscape, combines what nature provides with some planning and ingenuity to conserve water. To put some perspective on how much water it actually takes to maintain a lawn here is a formula. It takes approximately .6230 gallons of water per square foot to equal one inch of watering. Therefore, it takes 62 gallons of water, for every 100 square feet of lawn. Imagine doing this daily. On average during the summer months, it takes 1,000 gallons of water daily to maintain a yard.
Owners can begin conserving water by using xeriscaping techniques. First, determine what plants are native to the dry climate. Plants such as Dwarf Conifers, pampas grasses, and many varieties of cacti thrive in dry conditions. Oleander bushes along with Crape Myrtles are hardy shrubs that require little water and maintenance. Perfect for tough desert weather.
Obviously, all plants need water however, how efficiently that water is applied and conserved can make all the difference. One way to design a garden or flower bed is to elevate the growing surface, and tier the plants from top to bottom. The plants at the bottom will receive more water during rains or watering sessions. The water, will of course, drain from top to bottom, watering all plants as it drains. Flat surfaces simply allow water to drain straight down. Plants needing the most water are planted downhill from less needy ones.
The water drips out based on the GPM at the roots. The water is applied right where it is needed. It does not wet the leaves and cause burning, or spray water over into the neighbor's yard. There are various methods to achieve the same results. Soaker hoses work on the same principle however, they tend to spray water up and it is more difficult to direct the water to an individual plant. It is important to have a pressure valve installed. Otherwise, the water will not drip out the weep holes but will spray out.
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