Utah is the second-driest state in the country, and most of the water a typical home uses in summer goes onto the lawn. That's why more homeowners across Salt Lake, Davis and Utah counties are converting to xeriscape — and why many cities now pay rebates to help. Xeriscape is our specialty, and here's what we've learned designing them.
1. Start with a plan, not a pile of rock. The yards that look bare are the ones where lawn was simply swapped for gravel. A good xeriscape is designed: plant groupings, a mix of heights and textures, paths that lead somewhere and a place to sit. We draw every design and show it to you as a rendering first.
2. Keep lawn where you use it. You don't have to lose all your grass. A smaller lawn where the kids play or the dog runs, with water-wise beds everywhere else, often saves most of the water.
3. Choose plants that belong here. Native and adapted perennials, grasses and shrubs — penstemon, salvia, lavender, blue fescue, Russian sage, sumac and many more — handle heat, cold and dry soil once established, and bring color from spring to fall.
4. Put weed barrier under rock, not under plants' roots. A quality barrier under rock mulch keeps weeds out for years. Around plants, leave room for roots and water to get through.
5. Water with drip. Drip irrigation puts water at each plant's roots with almost no evaporation or overspray. Converting spray zones to drip is often the single biggest water saver in a yard.
6. Layer your rock. Mixing cobble, boulders and smaller rock mulch — and using a dry creek bed to carry storm water — gives the yard structure and a natural look.
Thinking about a conversion? FC Millennium Green designs and installs xeriscapes across the Wasatch Front, with site measurements, renderings and material samples before we start. Call (801) 574-8286 for a free estimate.