Low water garden landscaping

No need to sacrifice curb appeal to conserve water. Here are some smart low water landscaping ideas that will make your yard and other outdoor areas attractive without much water. Let’s take a look at these options.

ground cover

Ground covers are important in exposed areas to retain moisture and prevent soil erosion. Drought tolerant succulents and some types of drought tolerant herbs and flowers are perfect for covering the ground.

dry streams

A dry creek bed, also known as a dry creek bed, is a ravine or ditch, usually lined with rocks and bordered with vegetation to mimic a natural riparian area. You can use dry stream beds for drainage to prevent erosion by reducing runoff. When you’re done creating a dry stream bed, plant native shrubs, ornamental grass, or flowers along the banks and cover the “headwaters” with large boulders or plants. Logs, stepping stones or wooden bridges are also interesting ideas for a dry stream bed. Moss adds a natural element when your dry stream bed is in the shade.

Decomposed granite

When choosing what to cover your paths with, keep decomposed granite in mind. Soft, decomposed granite beneath your feet comes in soft, natural colors—mostly shades of gray and brown—and allows rainwater to drain away. You can also replace traditional lawns with granite.

Plant

Silver and felt plants are good against drought. A central plant—like a potted succulent like Euphorbia in front of a tall hedge of mature ivy—adds a layer of texture and warmth to a gravel space. A vertical succulent garden will center around a fence or frontage without requiring more than a few inches of depth. Many types of grasses that aren’t your average green lawn grass are drought tolerant and perfect for a low water garden. Some of the prettiest and driest ornamental grasses worth adding are: Little Bluestem, Fountain Grass, Blue Oatgrass, Purple Fountaingrass, Blue Fescue, Pampas Grass. When planting grasses, mix it up: Use both tall and short grasses along with some of the more colorful grasses used for pop.