Several misconceptions
often prevent acceptance of Xeriscape,
and these should be corrected.
| Xeriscape is NOT dry only. | Even though dry-only landscaping can be spectacularly colorful, and even lush, limited areas of highly-watered landscape are completely consistent with wise water use, if the return justifies it. Heavily-irrigated athletic field turf, for example, makes sense, since it recovers quickly from heavy use. |
| Xeriscape is NOT just rocks and gravel. | Although dry (xeric) rock gardens can be truly marvelous, there are many other wonderful choices for the xeric portions of Xeriscape designs. |
| Xeriscape is NOT necessarily lawnless landscaping. | Some lawn areas, even highly watered lawn, can be consistent with wise water use. "Less-lawn landscaping", not "lawnless landscaping", would be a more appropriate phrase. |
| Xeriscape is NOT about native plants only. | Although there is a vast array of wonderful regional native plants, non-invasive introduced plants, that are well-adapted to our climate, are a wonderful addition to waterwise landscaping. Many Iris, Tulips and even Roses are example of introduced plants that are well adapted to nonirrigated landscaping in the Rocky Mountain region. |
| "Xeriscape Plant" is technically a meaningless term. | Xeriscapes can have highly irrigated, as well as dry areas, so the term "xeriscape plant" means nothing. Xeric, plant, however, is a good term. It refers to plants that prefer it dry most of the time. Presumably what people really mean when they say "xeriscape Plant", is xeric plant. |
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