Xeriscaping – Green Servpro Home and Garden

Desert Landscape, Dry Landscaping, Landscape Design, Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping Part III

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Larry

Part three of our article series explores a fascinating concept: edible xeriscape plants. Yes, you read that correctly.

Xeriscape Plants That You Can Eat Part I: Cacti

Xeriscaping Can Be Beautiful | (928) 356-8167

As we said in an earlier article, most people think of a cactus when they think of xeriscaping plants. They’re spiny and have pretty flowers, however, but can you eat them? Absolutely. So, let’s start there. A lot of people know that the fruit of the prickly pear cactus is edible, and that it is made into a lot of different products including candies, jelly, and even wine. The pads are used to make nopalito, which is often eaten for breakfast.

What a lot of people don’t know, however, is that the fruit of the saguaro cactus is also edible. The fruit are a bright red, ripen in June, and are harvested by many local tribes, including the Tohono O’odham. A cactus garden can include a saguaro cactus, however, be prepared to pay a bit for one. A saguaro cactus doesn’t grow arms until it is 50-75 years old. And even a small saguaro can be about $200. Cacti, however, aren’t the only plants that pop up in xeriscaping.

Xeriscape Plants That You Can Eat Part II: Herbs, Fruits, and Veggies

Many herbs thrive in hot and arid climates like Arizona, so they’re perfect for xeriscaping. Marjoram, oregano, thyme, basil and rosemary are just some of the herbs that do well here. Hmm. Anyone want some nopalito parmesan?

There are a lot of veggies you can grow as part of your xeriscape landscape design including onions, garlic, radishes, broccoli, and cabbage. Okra grows well here, as do canteloupes as well. But what about the fruit?

Well for one thing, figs grow very well in Arizona. So do Asian pears, loquat, and persimmons. The most surprising xeriscape fruit that grows here are blackberries. So as you hopefully have seen, xeriscaping is so much more than just a cactus and a yucca.

This concludes our three part series on xeriscaping. Be sure to read part one and part two as well.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com

Desert Landscape, Dry Landscaping, Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping Part II

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Larry

Part two of our series on xeriscaping explores the types of plants that you can use. Be sure to read part one of this series as well.

What Xeriscape Plants to Use in Dry Landscaping

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Most people don’t know what xeriscape plants to use. Or they often think that their only choices are cacti or plants such as yucca. While these are obvious choices, there are a surprising number of plants that you can use from ground covers all the way up to trees. Some plants are indigenous to Arizona, while others come from climates that are very similar. Sand verbenas for example are a lovely flower that can come in vivid yellows or rich lavenders.

Aloe vera is often mistaken for a cactus, however, it is actually a type of succulent and it is found all over the world. Aloe is a unique plant as it is ornamental plant with medicinal qualities. Why do you think that so many sunburn treatments are made with aloe vera, the same with so many lotions. Aloe vera has beautiful flowers that a lot of pollinators such as hummingbirds and bees love, and as it is a succulent, it can thrive in places like a xeriscape garden. Another type of plant that works well in dry landscaping surprisingly are lilacs. Lilacs are very drought tolerant, and bloom once a year.

Dry Landscaping at it’s Best

In our last article, we discussed the economic benefits of planting a dry landscape, however, if you’re savvy on your plant choices, you will be able to create a beautiful garden spot and not use a huge amount of water to do it. There’s no such thing as plants that don’t need water, however, you can get drought tolerant plants that allow you to stretch watering farther. The Arizona Department of Water Resources has a booklet of over 19 pages of xeriscape plants that you can find at most local nurseries.

There are lot of choices out there. Sometimes they can be bewildering. If you need help, call in a landscaping expert.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com

Desert Landscape, Design, Landscape Design, Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping Part I

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Larry

landscape remodel — Xeriscaping is Not Just Desert Landscaping I (928) 356-8167

Xeriscaping makes sense for where we live. Arizona is a part of the Sonoran desert. Water obviously is a precious natural resource.

Xeriscaping in Ahwatukee

The population of Ahwatukee, like all Valley cities is increasing. As more and more people relocate to the Valley of the Sun, demands on our aquifers are increasing exponentially. Prices go up the more people want something. Water isn’t an exception to this rule.

Your water bill can be lowered by using xeriscaping effectively, however. What is xeriscaping? Dry landscaping or xeriscaping is a method of landscape design using drought tolerant plants. When you mention it, nearly everybody equates it with desert landscaping. However, the term xeriscaping is more about water allocation.

Xeriscaping Principles in Landscape Design

There are different tricks of using xeriscaping principles in your landscape design. One of the core concepts of xeriscaping is to group plants with similar water needs together to reduce water consumption. When you reduce your demand for water, guess what? You also reduce your water bill. Conserving water to save money is a great benefit, however, that’s only one reason for xeriscaping, Another one is trying to live green.

Is xeriscaping environmentally friendly? Absolutely. Because you are using plants that require less water, it helps in the fight against desertification. Another reason you may want to do xeriscaping at your home or business is that it also helps to stop the spread of invasive species. If you want some inspiration, look up kudzu and see what it’s done to the South. It grows a foot a day. We don’t have that here, however, we do have plants that people plant such as nasturtiums and African daisies which expand aggressively and can choke out other plants. When you’re in doubt, call in a landscaping service to help you pick your plants, which will also be our next topic.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com