Xeriscaping in the Plantation.

2009-04-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

Click photo to enlarge.

This is the "simulated" picture that was submitted to the Architectural Review Committee to gain approval to Xeriscape our rear yard.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

Advantages

Lower water bills
More water available for other uses and other people (such as showers, sinks, hoses etc.)
Less time and work needed for maintenance, making gardening more simple and stress-free
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.

Disadvantages

May require more start-up work to prepare beds for planting than simply laying soil
Some homeowners' associations may object to non-traditional plants. However, some states, such as Florida, possess regulations pertaining to homeowner's associations that make it unlawful to include a clause prohibiting "property owner from implementing Xeriscape or Florida-friendly landscape, as defined in s. 373.185(1), on his or her land." (Ref: 720.3075.4 Prohibited clauses in association documents). In 2007, Arizona enacted similar legislation.
Xeriscape beds require periodic maintenance which is more involved than simply mowing and edging, especially to maintain color
Weeds and trash may also be more of a problem than in a traditional lawn.

Living in the Plantation presents different watering problems for each resident. We pay the continuing increases in our water bills, but it's possible to pay less with some planning. As you can see from the photo below, our backyard was totally taken over by the numerous wild weeds and grasses that grow in the common area behind our home. Our expensive sod lawn lasted just over ten years and each year it became costlier to maintain. We quite literally spent thousands of dollars on water, fertilizer and the numerous poisons that the lawn services peddle to the residents.

To combat this problem, my wife and I decided that we'd reduce the front yard by half and totally do away with a grass area to the rear yard. By doing so we will drop an average of 12,000 to 15,000 gallons of water usage per month. We feel our new average usage should be around 10,000 gallons or less per month once plantings have established. We will also not have to mow and care for a rear yard and only minimally care for the front yard. Freedom at last!

This photo was taken March 15th, 2009, prior to undertaking the Xeriscape project. We decided to do the work ourselves. This is not work for those with weak hearts or physical disabilities. It requires a huge amount of labor and time. The following photos and comments might assist you should you decide to undertake something similar.

Click photo to enlarge.

The photo below shows the rear yard after we removed a grapefruit tree which died during our last freeze. We sprayed "Round Up" over the complete lawn and it has now died back. We then dug a ditch completely around the rear and sides of the property. The ditch is approx. 5 inches wide by 8 inches deep. The reason for the ditch is to keep the bark from "moving" to the common area and to the neighbors' yards as you will see in subsequent photos.

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The picture below shows the side yard with the ditch being dug and grass continuing to die back.

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Once the ditch is complete, it's time to start planting the "border" plants. We selected Liriope, also called "Border Grass". It's a true survivor and will grow almost anywhere. We happened to find them on sale at Lowes for about $1.50 per plant. We're planting them 24 inches apart since they will spread to meet each other and will grow approximately 12 inches tall.

We've capped off all of the sprinkler outlets and have added a "drip" system on each to handle the plants. When the drip distribution line to each plant is in operation, it waters at approx. 1/2 gallon of water per plant, per hour.

Click photo to enlarge.

In the picture below, we've spread weed prevention cloth (15 year) over the dead grass area and have overlapped the ditch approx. 8 inches which is enough cloth to line the ditch. We've covered the plants and drip lines and use a razor knife to make "X" cuts over the plant and then bring the plant leaves through the cloth.

Click photo to enlarge.

The cloth is laid and stapled to the ground. Since the yard is on an incline, we have overlapped the cloth so that the overlap stops the bark from moving downhill and makes it easier to "drag" the bark uphill without pulling up the cloth. After much experimentation, we have found a tarp to be the easiest and quickest way to transport bark without causing damage to the cloth.

In this photo, we have not planted in order to drag the bark.

Click photo to enlarge.

Now the work begins. We calculated the job to take approx. 41 cubic yards of bark. That will allow us to replenish some of the front yard and finish the rear yard. Each full truck load is 16 cubic yards. Each yard costs $21.00 per cubic yard plus delivery fee. We've chosen the large 3-4 inch pine bark because experience has shown that it managed to stay in place during three hurricanes and numerous Florida storms. The smaller bark will blow away.

Click photo to enlarge.

The shoveling of the bark should be completed using an aluminum "Grain" shovel. No other shovel will be as light weight and hold as much bark. This can be purchased at a local farm supply store for about $20.00. To rake the bark, use a rake with iron tines. It is the only rake to use that will hold up to the workload. They cost about $11.00 at a farm supply store.

We also placed 9'x12' tarps on the ground to hold the bark. It helps keep the bark clean and is easier to shovel than shoveling on earth. It's also easy clean up when all is finished.

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I'm dragging bark to the top of the property and spreading it out. Notice the back brace. Since I possess a chronic bad back, I wear these most of the time when working outside. I suggest anyone doing this type of work to do the same. You certainly don't want your back to go out in the middle of the project.

Click photo to enlarge.

Be prepared to have "visitors" constantly dropping by to survey your work. In this case they were hungry and thought I might have turned up some "dinner" for them.

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The job is complete, with the exception of placing the numerous plants. We are using roses, daisys, boxwood, lantana, bottlebrush and other butterfly attractors. These will be planted at our leisure and will have "drip" installed as each is planted. All plants should grow 2 to 3 times their planted size.

We realize that utilizing this much open space may not be for everyone. If our rear yard adjoined another yard instead of "open green belt" (wild grasses), we would have completed it similar to the front yard.

Our priority was to eliminate water waste #1 and eliminate weeds #2. Never having to mow a rear yard was the wonderful result. As the many plants take hold, they will grow and fill in the areas they occupy.

Before <--------------------30 Days--------------------> After

This is the "finished" rear yard with stepping stones and approx. 40 plants, not including all of the border plants.

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This is the "finished" rear yard at the end of August showing the growth that has occurred and the weathering of the ground cover.

Click photo to enlarge each photo.

This is a picture of the completed front yard with curbing separating the grass from the bark. We have a fountain, bench and numerous plants to highlight the area.

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Another view.

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How to calculate the amount of mulch you will need for your project.

Step 1

Calculate the square foot area of the flower bed or garden. Do this by measuring two sides of the desired area to be mulched and multiplying the two sides. For example, if one side of the garden is 20-feet-long and another is 10-feet-long then 10 x 20 = 200, so the square footage is 200 square feet. If the garden is odd-shaped then mark it off in squares calculating the square foot of each marked off square and adding them together to get the total square feet.

Step 2

Calculate how many cubic yards you will need based on the desired depth of the mulch. For example, if you want the mulch to be 4 inches deep when applied use the following formula: 200 (area to cover in sq ft) x 4 (depth of mulch in inches) x .0031 (amount of cubic yards needed per linear foot--this amount remains constant and is the same in all calculations) = 2.48 (cubic yards of mulch required).

Step 3

Convert the cubic yards needed to cubic feet because bags of mulch are sold by cubic feet, usually 2 or 3 cubic feet in each bag. There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. 2.48 (cubic yards required) x 27 (number of cubic feet per cubic yard) = 66.96 (cubic feet needed).

Step 4

Calculate the number of bags needed. If a bag contains 2 cubic feet and you need 66.96 cubic feet then divide the number of cubic feet needed by 2. 66.96 (cubic feet required) / 2 = 33.48, or 34 bags of mulch needed for project.

If you decide to do the work yourself, allow about 10 days and between 4-8 hours per day to complete.

* A special thanks to Karl and June Ishman who showed up unexpectedly one afternoon and shared shoveling and hauling of bark with my wife and me. Much appreciated!!

Photos by Ev.

Joe & Ev Zirbes
The Plantation at Leesburg, FL