Bakersfield Life

The Great Xeriscaping: Looking for a change? Explore the chic side of conservation

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Before the economic crisis sent homes and their lush landscapes into the weeds of foreclosure, the minimalist, low- or no-maintenance yards and gardens were still considered beyond the Bermuda-grass fringes. But thanks, or no thanks to the fichus financial fiasco, that once oddity of a yard is becoming the new “it” gardening plan. Conservation and cheap never looked so chic.
       Xeriscaping has had some incarnations over the years: low maintenance, water conservation and rock gardens among them. The essence of the landscape plan, which does not require additional irrigation, is built on the concept of low water usage. “Just look at abandoned houses around town and see what is still alive and thriving in those yards,” suggested landscape designer David Gordon, assistant director of the Bakersfield Museum of Art.    
        Gordon, whose own yard features a mix of micro-climates and xeriscapes, designed the Westchester front yard of friends Marci Lingo and her husband, Richard Holden. Unlike many homeowners, it wasn’t the mortgage mess, but a sprinkler crisis that prompted the couple to forsake lawn for less. Faced with having to replace the sprinkler system, they decided to take out the front lawn. “We love it,” Lingo enthused of the result. “We think it fits the house and fits the neighborhood, yet it is also different from the rest of the block.”
        The couple’s yard blended native plants like California lilac, rock roses, sedum, Mexican sage, daylilies and azaleas that complement, rather than compete with the Spanish-styled bungalow’s facade. “It captures that Mediterranean feel, sort of problem-solved kind of style,” said Lingo, who has lived in the home for nearly 30 years. The couple took Gordon’s designs, and began destruction of the existing lawn in January. The brand-new yard, though not yet mature and just installed in April, promises more coverage in the months and years ahead. “We did all the planting.  The plants are still establishing themselves and another tree is coming, but we like it very much.”
       White agapanthus, 21 of them, anchors the corners of the front yard. A tree’s limb drapes shade in the morning light. A large terra cotta-colored pot uses a waterfall feature. Several areas of the yard are slightly elevated to break up the landscape, and decomposed granite gravel was used. The tree roses on the south side of the yard are the only remnants of the original area. One barely notices that the home, sandwiched between well-manicured lawns and hedges, has no lawn. “There isn’t too much, and not too little,” Lingo said.
     But you don’t need to enlist the help of a landscape designer to achieve the xeriscape look. Gordon suggests first taking a walk along the Panorama Bluffs for inspiration. “You can see there what it takes to do a drought-resistant yard.”  Select plants with smaller, tougher leaves that don’t expel moisture. Gordon favors rock roses and verbena, which bloom all summer and are great ground cover. Oleanders, though poisonous, and scotch broom are also favored drought-tolerant plants. Group them together, and include one specimen tree. “Add one contrast plant, which helps give compositional balance and creates interest without becoming boring.”
     Gordon also advises to work with odd numbers, whether it be pots in the yard as Lingo did, or with groupings of plants. And just about anything can be found at local and big-box store nurseries. Serious gardeners will also want to pick up what Gordon considers the gardener’s bible, the Sunset Western Garden book. “They have lists, broken down by zones,” he said, noting that our local area covers zones 8 and 9.
     Experts also suggest incorporating rocks into your xeriscape. Bougainvilleas will add broad strokes of color. Rosemary and lavender will also help bring bees into the yard to pollinate.  There will still be some need to irrigate, but it is vital to select and plant things that are going to shade the ground, Gordon added. “You’ll get more bang for your buck.”  
      By conservative estimates, about half of all household water use is for outdoor purposes, and half of that is used in landscape irrigation, making maintenance of the lawn a big-ticket expense.  As households move closer to water meter conversion, and usage increases in the shadows of a drought, water conservation is becoming a greater priority    
      But if you aren’t quite ready to ditch the lawn in favor of xeriscaping entirely, take stock of the existing sprinkler system. “When people think about saving water in landscapes, it is often plant selection that comes first to mind,” said John Karlik, UC Cooperative Extension adviser for Kern County. “Adjusting irrigation clock settings is usually the place to begin, with changing plants further down the list of effective steps to reduce landscape water use.”
     Karlik also reminds homeowners to start with a plan. Select trees, shrubs and groundcovers based on their adaptability to your soil and climate. Remember, plants will indicate their moisture stress by color change or wilting, and mulch around plants to reduce soil evaporation and provide more uniform moisture.