Xeriscaping is often thought to be dry & dreary - a bunch of cactus & other rough plants that look unkempt & ugly.  Nothing could be further from the truth. A creative xeriscaping design uses a wide variety of drought tolerant plant species to achieve a broad range of different styles, suitable to most tastes.

Xeriscaping can be beautiful & functional when properly designed.  Water bills can be cut in half without compromising overall appearance. Good xeriscape design is not a 'Silver Bullet' approach that just focuses on using drought tolerant plants. It is an overall strategy of minimizing high water use areas, separating different water use areas into their own watering zones (hydrozoning) & careful site analysis to maximize plant health.

Xeriscapes can also include lawns and other high water use plants in the overall design scheme.  High water use plants are confined to lawns & other areas of high visual impact near the house.  They are irrigated separately from drought tolerant areas in different hydrozones.