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Xeriscaping -- Low Water Gardening
from: Lawn and Garden MagicXeriscaping is the art of creating naturalized gardens using plants, flowers, shrubs and trees, which are acclimated to the particular area where you live. Xeriscaping has become very popular because when creating your garden based on flowers and plants that grow naturally in your area, there is less watering and care needed.
Xeriscaping is particularly useful for creating gardens that need little to no watering, and it's used the most in the desert southwestern area of the U.S. because water is so scarce in those areas.
When most people think about how to create a garden that uses little to no water, other than natural rainfall amounts, they immediately think of creating a cactus garden. Cactus gardens can certainly be quite beautiful, but this is not the only way to create a beautiful garden that doesn't need supplemental watering from you.
One excellent way to help reduce the amount of water your plants need, for instance, is to buy special water crystals to add to your garden soil. These crystals are designed to absorb and hold water for long periods of time -- usually about two weeks -- so you can water your plants less, yet still have them be healthy and beautiful.
The water crystals absorb water each time you water your garden, then they slowly release that water to the plants over time. You can buy potting soil which already has these crystals added, or you can buy the crystals themselves and add them to the existing areas of your garden they're needed most.
You can also help your garden plants and flowers conserve water by simply giving them a good thick layer of natural mulch. Use dead leaves, dry grass clippings, sawdust, wood chips, or even tree bark pieces to cover the ground around your plants. This covering will help keep the soil from drying out so fast, thus you won't need to water your plants as often even in the dry heat of summer. The mulch will also keep your plants from being ravaged by the bitter winter cold as badly too.
There are of course, many types of plants which require very little water to thrive too, and they're not all cactus plants. Cactus are plants which probably have the lowest water needs of any kind of plant though, and there are many which are quite beautiful throughout the year. Most cactus plants create blooming flowers, and many of them change to various colors in different seasons too.
Besides cactus plants though, other gorgeous plants grow quite well even in the worst of the drought seasons. These low water plants are often very unique too, and they really make your garden stand out from the neighbor's. Some of the best plants to use for low water gardening needs are the Desert Mallow and the California Poppy. These often have flowers which range from light peach to orange in color, but you'll sometimes see them in other shades as well.
The leaves on these plants may seem a bit strange to someone who has never seen them before though, because they're a paler green color and they're a bit hairy. These plants draw butterflies and hummingbirds though, so they'll be an excellent addition to your xeriscaping garden plans.
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