Familiarizing yourself with the southwest climate of Tucson isn’t easy to do especially when you are attempting to landscape your new Arizona home. The weather here is blistering at times, especially in the summer, and most people know the heat affects plants tremendously. Gone are the days when many varieties of plants can be used unless they are protected by the hot afternoon sun or watered much more frequently than you have time to do.

What many gardeners aren’t aware of when they first plant here is that the winters can experience severe dips in temperatures, sometimes well-below freezing, which can destroy a vulnerable yard in one night. Many unfortunate gardeners who chose non-native plants that haven’t adapted to the harsh, dry climate have learned this the hard way. 

The best way to avoid that is to create a xeriscape garden, which reduces or outright eliminates the need for supplemental irrigation. The region’s plants have evolved for exactly that kind of display, which also happens to be great for water conservation. 

Per the Arizona Daily Star, Dana and Lynn Roper found out about this when the landscape they’d created at their Oro Valley winter home was wiped out in Tucson’s great freeze of 2011. Instead of re-planting non-native plants such as Bougainvillea and a grapefruit tree, they started over with native species such as agaves, flowering bushes, and cacti. That paid off when the garden won the Arizona Landscape Contractors Association (ALCA) award of distinction for heritage gardens. 

So how do you create your own garden that focuses on the water-saving principles of xeriscape planting? Neighborhoods.com has put together some tips on planting and designing your own southwest landscape. 

What is Xeriscaping?

According to Chris Niccum, owner of Sonoran Gardens, it means “using native plants that thrive in low-water, desert conditions.” Originally developed for drought-affected areas, the practice has broadened over time to incorporate a multitude of aesthetics that can be applied to any yard in the U.S.

The principles are simple. Consumption of water is lowered, making more water available for home and community usage. Maintenance requirements are reduced, aside from occasional weeding and mulching. Costs come down thanks to less reliance on fertilizer and equipment, not to mention less need for lawn mowing. Finally, there is a reduction in waste and pollution thanks to the lack of urban runoff or organic waste.

Maintaining your xeriscape yard is uncomplicated with proper upkeep. The removal of dead leaves and weeding is necessary, as is shaping your plants if you are going after a desired look. The ease of xeriscape gardening also comes with fewer problems, like plant diseases and pest control due to minimal water use and fertilizers.

How to Get Started 

Becoming familiar with local plants, shrubs, and trees that are drought-resistant is key to planning your design. Peruse gardens and neighborhoods that utilize the xeriscape design, like San Antonio Park in the Miles neighborhood, which previously won the Judge’s Award for Best Neighborhood/Community Landscape Project by the Arizona Depart of Water Resources and the Tucson Botanical Gardens Annual Xeriscape Awards. Seeing them for yourself allows you to learn the layout possibilities, not to mention providing inspiration.

Downtown also has a “walkable area” surrounding the El Presidio Plaza with habitats focused on minimal water usage in order to attract wildlife.

This list put together by the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association details specific plants by varieties and helps you understand combinations that work well together. 

Planting Your Yard in Zones 

Being able to maintain moisture in the soil is crucial when trying to minimize water usage. A good practice is to plant for “zones” in your yard. Usually, there are areas of a yard that have more sun exposure, have varying soil quality, or are expansive areas where an irrigation system just wouldn’t make sense. Your arid zone is an area to plant the most drought-resistant plants like cacti, succulents, or shrubs. Other plants unable to stand as much heat should be planted in areas with infrequent sunlight, afternoon shade, or in pots in order to maximize water retention.

Shelly Ann Abbott of Landscape Design West LLC says that high water-use plants, typically non-native, can be intermittently used for textural variety and to add unusual color, like that of bougainvillea, crepe myrtle, or citrus trees, as long as they don’t make up the majority of a garden.

Mulch and Irrigation

Choosing an appropriate mulch not only helps erosion but helps to minimize weed growth. Wood, straw, and compost varieties also help to retain moisture and moderate soil temperature.

According to Xeriscapes, a resource for growers, using organic mulch is better for the environment as it incorporates with the soil, though over time it does need to be reapplied. Sloped areas are better left using inorganic mulch (slate, stones, brick chips) to avoid runoff with heavy rains or erosion by wind. They note that use of these particular materials has a tendency to retain heat and should be used sparingly or in shaded areas if possible.

Drip irrigation systems are intended to encourage deep root growth. The idea is to water slowly over a period of time in order to reach the depths needed to reinforce root stability and growth. Top watering usually causes roots to stay toward the surface and can cause plant damage if the water pools. Deep and infrequent watering is best advised for the first one or two years to establish secure roots, at which time plants can be watered more regularly.

Drip irrigation systems are fairly standard and can be mixed and matched to customize your own garden. A great example of a practice which strives to preserve limited and valuable natural resources can be seen in the award-winning Maricopa neighborhood of Province. Winner of ALCA’s 2017 Best Landscape Management Award, they went for minimal waste and irrigation practices to sustain mature plants.