Xeriscaping and Its Application to the Home Gardner: Prairie and Parkland Plants, Canada

1. XERISCAPING AND ITS APPLICATION TO THE HOME GARDNER
By Brian Haniford
Prairie & Parkland Plants
Xeriscaping is a method of Gardening or Landscaping wherein the design and use of Plants take less water than a conventional design
and plants. The goals that Xeriscaping strives to meet are: (1) Radical Water Conservation and (2) Preservation of Beauty in the
Landscape.
There are seven principles of Xeriscaping, they are:
1. Refine the design. The South and West exposed gardens that are on the sunnyside of buildings, fences, hedges or other wall type
structures are the locations that Xeriscaping will be most effective due to the higher temperatures and intense sunlight. Design these
areas to utilize those plants tolerant to these conditions.
2. Limit Turf Areas. Grasses are the highest users of water. Without large quantities and frequent watering, grasses will not flourish.
Cut back the grasses in those areas that should be Xeriscaped.
3. Select low-water-usage plants. This is your challenge to select those plants that will have high drought tolerance in addition to
being hardy for your Zone. There are many Native plants that fit the requirements. You may choose from Shrubs, Trees or Annual and
Perennial Flowers. Those plants that have Grey or Silver Leaves are very suitable. For variety, Spring Bulbs may be suitable as they
emerge, flower and wither while the temperature and sunlight have not maximized.
4. Irrigate efficiently. The watering of your Xeriscaped area doesn't follow the same schedule and quantities as your lawn, flower
beds or garden. The best system of watering in this area is drip or trickle. The plants themselves do not require & will not benefit from
their foliage being dampened. Water only when necessary and make sure to water deeply to encourage the roots to go downward in
search of water. Don't be over anxious to water your Xeriscape plants.
5. Use Mulch. More and more this method of moisture and weed control is being adapted to gardening. In your Xeriscaping the use of
mulch is one of the best methods to keep the soil moist and cool. Materials for mulch are varied therefore your choice will depend
upon the plant needs and your esthetical requirements. Some of the materials you can use are: Newspaper, Grass Clippings, Wood
Chips, Saw Dust, Plastic Sheeting, Landscape Fabric, Rock or Compost.

2. 6. Amend the Soil. The better condition the soil is in, the more efficiently the plants will be able to make use of the water and
nutrients. Work in plenty of organic matter. Compost, leaves, grass clippings, peat moss, manure or vegetable cuttings from the
kitchen all will be beneficial. This amendment of the soil also aids in the retention of the moisture.
7. Don't ignore maintenance. Although the plants that you use are hardy and require less water, the weeds that have adapted to the
same conditions will flourish. Keep up on the weeding to reduce the competition for water, also the appearance of your Xeriscape
Garden is one of the pleasures that you are striving to achieve.
Now that you have some of the basics of Xeriscaping, the actual act is up to you. There are not specific designs or plants that I could
point you to, but there are several books and magazines that include this as a topic. You can do your research and when you have
made a design and plant selection list, then your local nursery or garden centre can be approached as to their supply.
A lot of the Xeriscape plants are slow growing. If instant gratification is your goal, then you must be prepared to put out the extra
costs of larger plants. There are several smaller plants that are suitable for Xeriscaping, consider them along with larger plants such as
shrubs. Xeriscape plants could be planted with the smaller ground hugging and covering ones in front with the taller towards the back.
If you choose to do a Xeriscape garden, I would be pleased to discuss with you your plans.
Brian Haniford
Prairie & Parkland Plants
Box 68, Torrington, Alta, ToM 2B0
403 631-2398
haniford@telusplanet.net
NO. SPECIE TYPE PLANT AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC COMMON COMMON NAME 2 COMMON
NAME NAME 1 NAME 3
1 GRASS S, P S+P 2001+ Stipa curtiseta Western Porcupine
2 GRASS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Stipa richardsonii Richardson's Needle

3. 3 GRASS S 2001+ Stipa viridula Green Needle
4 FORBS S, P S+P 2001+ Achillea millefolium Common Yarrow
5 FORBS (D) S, P S+P 2001+ Aquilegia jonesii Blue Columbine
6 FORBS S, P S+P 2001+ Aster conspicuus Showy Aster
7 FORBS S S+P 2001+ Castilleja minata Red Indian Paintbrush
8 FORBS S, P S+P 2001+ Dodecatheon pulchellum Shooting Star
9 FORBS S, P S+P 2001+ Fragaria virginiana Wild Strawberry
10 FORBS S, P S+P 2001+ Gaillardia aristata Brown Eyed Susan Blanket-
flower
11 FORBS S, P S+P 2001+ Geum triflorum Old Man's Whiskers Prairie Smoke
12 FORBS S 2001+ Helianthus lenticularis Showy Sunflower
13 FORBS S, P S+P 2001+ Monarda fistulosa Wild Bergamont Bee Balm Torch Flower
14 FORBS S, P S+P 2001+ Opuntia polyacabtha Plains Prickly Pear Cactus
15 FORBS S 2001 Oxytropis monticola (gracillis) Late Yellow Locoweed
+
16 FORBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Rumex occidentalis Western Dock
17 FORBS S, P S2001+ P2001+ Sisyrinchium montanum Blue-eyed Grass
18 FORBS S S2001+ Smilacina stellata Star-Flowered False Solomon's Seal
19 FORBS S S2001+ Solidago canadensis Canada Goldenrod
20 FORBS S S2001+ Solidago decumbens Mountain Goldenrod
21 FORBS S S2001+ Solidago missouriensis Missouri Goldenrod
22 FORBS S S2001+ Solidago rigida Stiff Goldenrod
23 FORBS S S2001+ Thermopsis rhombifolia Golden Bean Buffalo Bean
24 FORBS S S2001+ Vicia americana Wild Vetch
25 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Acer glabrum var. douglasii Rocky Mountain Maple Douglas Maple
26 SHRUBS S, S2001+ Amelanchier alnifolia Saskatoon Serviceberry
27 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Kinnikinnick Bearberry
28 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2000+ Cornus stolonifera Red Osier Dogwood

4. 29 SHRUBS (D) S, P S2001+, P2001+ Crataegus rotundifolia (1) Red Hawthorn
30 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Eleagnus commutata Silverberry Wolfwillow
31 SHRUBS S S2001+ Juniperus communis Ground Juniper Low Juniper
32 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Juniperus horizontalis Creeping Juniper
33 SHRUBS Junoperus scopulorum Rocky Mountain Juniper
34 SHRUBS (D) Philadelphus lewisii Mock Orange
35 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Prunus virginiana Western Chokecherry
36 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Ribes oxyacanthoides Wild Gooseberry
37 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Rosa acicularis Prickly Rose
38 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Rosa arkansana (woodsii) Prairie Rose
39 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Rubus strigosus Wild Red Raspberry
40 SHRUBS P 2001+ Salix discolor Pussy Willow
41 SHRUBS P 2001+ Salix exigua (interior) Sandbar Willow
42 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Sambucus racemosa Elderberry
43 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Shepherdia argentea Silver Thorny Buffaloberry
44 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Shepherdia canadensis Canada Buffaloberry Soopolallie Soapberry
45 SHRUBS (D) S, P S2001+, P2001+ Sorbus scopulina Western Mountain Ash (Orange)
46 SHRUBS (D) S, P S2001+, P2001+ Sorbus sitchensis Sitka Mountain Ash (Red)
47 SHRUBS S, P S2001+, P2001+ Symphoricarpos occidentalis Buckbrush Wolfberry Western Snowberry
48 TREES Pinus flexis Limber Pine
49 TREES S, P S2001+, P2001+ Populus balsamfera Balsam Poplar Black Cottonwood
50 TREES Populus tremiloides Aspen Poplar Trembling Aspen
(D) DOMESTIC SPECIES
(1) also: columbina & chryoscarpa
(2) also: Andropogon scoparius