Still Have a Blue Grass or Bermuda Grass Yard in Santa Fe? Maybe It’s, To Quote the Commodores, “Time for a Cool Change” to Xeriscaping

By Joe on April 9, 2011

Xeriscaping is the creation of a landscape in your yard with indigenous plants and grasses from this area. These plants will require less water and fertilizer than say for example, the grass in your yard currently. Virtually everyone loves a green lawn, but with the cost of everything going up, including water, a yard that is xeriscaped will cost less money to keep up and really fit in with the 7,000 foot plus high desert mountain climate of Santa Fe, NM.

Xeriscaping does require some water. Most new xeriscaped yards have local plants as part of the layout. Even though those plants will require far, far less water than grass does, the plants will require some watering and a drip irrigation watering system is just the ticket to get the job done. Once you’ve figured out what plants and rocks you want for your xeriscaped yard you’ll need to factor in a drip irrigation system to your costs. The beauty about a drip system is that if it’s done correctly the yard will almost be maintenance free other than some occasional week pulling and the requirement to shut down and start up your drip system at the end and the beginning of each season. Here are some of the benefits of xeriscaping the yard of your home:

1. Annual costs are less – You will not have a lawn to water so that means way lower water bills.

2. Wildlife Habitat – Native plants means indigenous animals will have the best habitat possible.

3. Fertilizer bill – You will not have to fertilize your xeriscaped yard.

4. Virtually No Yard Work – The Saturday morning lawn mower chore goes out the window when you xeriscape your yard.

5. Lower water use – A drip system with 1 and 2 gallon per hour bubblers to each plant will reduce your water bill to a tiny fraction of your bill when you had a lawn to water.

How to get rolling if you like this idea –

There are books to refer to for xeriscaping ideas. There are also plenty of websites you can look at that offer ideas about xeriscaping. And lastly you can contact a local landscaping company for quote on xeriscaping your yard. Once you’ve decided what your action plan it’s time to get moving and save money on your water bill for years to come.

Posted in , Tagged , , , Leave a Comment

Xeriscaping Landscaping in Santa Fe – Landscaping this way in Santa Fe is so smart

By Joe on February 10, 2011

 

Xeriscape landscaping means put away the mower!

 

 

Xeriscape landscaping is the landscaping method of landscaping your home or commercial property with plants that require little or no water. Another term for XERISCAPING is “waterless landscaping”.  Water in Santa Fe is a rare expensive commodity. Landscaping in Santa Fe the XERISCAPING way is a smart way to beautify the outside of your home with native plants and save money at the same time.

Xeriscaping landscaping in Santa Fe does not mean just local rocks, and yucca plants.  In the Santa Fe area and the southwest there is a huge selection of plants available to xeriscape landscape your garden. The plants are native to the area so they have developed in a way where they are resistant to drought and do not need much water.  Your local Santa Fe landscaping company or local plant nursery will offer you guidance on what to buy and how much water each plant needs.  The old days of lawn landscaping are not gone, but when you xeriscape landscape your home in Santa Fe you can put your lawnmower away.

Sprinkler Systems and Drip Irrigation Watering – Even if you xeriscape landscape your home in Santa Fe the plants in your garden still need water.  Landscaping companies in Santa Fe specialize in setting up low water use drip irrigation systems that emit low amounts of water with drip devices call bubblers that emit 1 to 3 gallons an hour.  Landscaping companies in Santa Fe landscaping a new or existing home set up the drip system first throughout the outside of the home using a set of set of landscape blueprints.  They run drip irrigation lines to the location of each plant and attach a bubbler at the end of the line.  Once the landscaping is complete the drip irrigation system they set up is configured to turn on each night at a set time and run for a set period of time so each plant receives the water it needs. The beauty about landscaping your home this way is that you have hands free garden that waters itself, does not need mowing and only occasional weed pulling.   With a fixed scheduled drip irrigation system in place your landscaping will flourish.

Posted in , , , , Tagged , , , Leave a Comment