Xeriscaping offers an effective and aesthetic landscape alternative which blends in with our desert environment. It involves planting both native and non-native plants which are adapted to an arid desert climate and using water efficient landscape design. Installing drip irrigation reduces waste and adding soil mulch reduces water evaporation from the soil. It also involves limiting non-functional lawn areas, where grass looks nice but serves little purpose.

Three key advantages of Xeriscaping are:

• Reduced irrigation by increasing water efficiency, thereby reducing water bills.
• Decreased yard maintenance time, increased personal time.
• Desert climate-adapted plants will usually grow very well in the Antelope Valley and High Desert area, due to the relatively high pH of the soils.

For landscape design ideas, the Prime Desert Woodland Preserve provides an example of a natural Western Mojave Desert ecosystem, which includes natural plant communities of Joshua Tree - Juniper Woodland and Desert Scrub. These plant communities exhibit the natural arrangement and spacing of plants which can be nearly recreated, as a small scale desert garden, in a Xeriscaped yard.

A Xeriscape landscape design can be part of new home landscaping or as replacement landscaping for older homes.

Important things to consider are:

• Drainage: most desert plants require well drained soil conditions.
• Sun or heat exposure: plants near or on south facing walls may experience very high temperatures which can burn vegetation.
• Growth: consider how their mature size fits into the landscape design or how the plants will change over time. Some desert plants such as the Joshua Tree grow very slow. Size of the purchased plant should be considered.

Joshua Trees and other desert vegetation may not be dug up from public lands. Check with local nurseries and landscape professionals for sources of suitable plants.

Information and assistance in the many aspects of Xeriscaping can be obtained from local nurseries, including the Antelope Valley Resource Conservation District Nursery at 661-942-7306. Other sources of information include local landscape professionals and the U.C. Extension Service.