Xeriscaping your Yard Effectively If you live in Arizona, then you are no stranger to heat and arid conditions. Arizona is one of the driest states in the US, and residents living there are constantly subjected to fire damage due to the and very dry conditions. Keeping a lawn in good shape and keeping it green during the really hot times can be a real challenge. Grass is going to have a harder time growing in these conditions, and the makeup of the soil also can be tricky to work with if it is rocky or sandy.
Main Difficulties Perhaps the most difficult thing to deal with overall is being able to water your lawn effectively. There is less water to go around in Arizona, and recent dry conditions in the West have made the situation a little more extreme. Watering the lawn can therefore be a pricey proposition. When it all comes down to it, having a New England style of yard is something of a technical difficulty, due to the heat, dryness, soil conditions, and directness of sunshine. One of the solutions that you might want to consider is xeriscaping, if you think that water costs are rising too high and that managing a healthy lawn without assistance is too much of a chore. Xeriscaping is the art of incorporating plants and materials into your yard which are meant to cut down on the total amount of water used.
The Practice This practice is all about finding solutions and replacements to the usual lawn composition, while still having a functional and beautiful space. Not only does doing this allow better control of the lawn and drastically reduce the amount of water needed, but it also can prevent fires in drier areas. Since Arizona is so hot and arid, it is a prime place for fires to start. Since the local plant life usually consists of drier brush and trees, it is quite easy for a blaze to take hold and spread ultimately causing major fire damage in Tuscon, Phoenix Mesa or any other major city or suburb like that. The same effect can happen with lawn that are dried out, especially if there are dried up weeds on the periphery of a property. Essentially, the dry patches that have died out are the perfect fuel for a quick blaze to start and spread.
Therefore, xeriscaping serves to prevent disaster while also saving a lot of water, addressing two concerns at once. The first place that most people will start xeriscaping is with the grass of their lawn.
Trouble with Grass Since grass that is meant to be grown in more moist and cool places is not going to do as well, xeriscaping emphasizes finding desert grass to use instead. Such grass can still be vibrant and green, while requiring a lot less due to its evolution over time in the desert. Likewise, xeriscaping also uses strategic spots where there might not be grass at all;, but instead might have a tastefully paved off area featuring smaller rocks local to the area, to add more desert flavor to the area while not requiring water. Xeriscaping is one of the most effective forms of disaster prevention like fire damage in Arizona, New Mexico, and other dry states like those. It also provides wonderful water relief and it is a process well worth looking into. Photo Credit: Magician, Sheila Ellen