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Step 1
Create a rough draft drawing of your yard. Signify which areas get the most sun, shade, are sloping, have poor drainage or are already being utilized by vegetation or a structure that will remain. Tentatively design the yard by drawing in pathways, slopes and separating them by the amount of sunlight they will get per day.
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Step 2
Visit your local County Extension Office for advice on which plants are indigenous to your area and where to buy them. State universities that have an agricultural center often sell native-grown plants at reasonable prices.
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Step 3
Choose your plants by matching your drawing areas to the corresponding indigenous plants that grow in your region. Xeriscaping uses plants that are native to the area in order to decrease the need for additional water or the addition of soil conditioners.
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Step 4
Order any plants that you can't purchase locally early enough so they have arrived by the time you want to plant your xeriscaped yard.
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Step 5
Designate the order of plantings for each area of your plan. Many landscapers feel that taller planting should go in the back, medium height ones in the middle and the shortest ones in front so each plant is easily visible. You may follow this directive or create a new look by planting tall specimens in the middle and surrounding it with shorter planting to create a center effect that will highlight a single tall specimen.
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Step 6
Cover soil under plants with mulch to help retain moisture. Xeriscaping does not mean "no water," just a reduced need for it. One nice benefit of a xeriscaped yard is the minimal maintenance it will require. You will still have some work to do, but by choosing plants that grow naturally in your area that don't require extra maintenance you will be gaining not only a beautiful, environmentally-friendly yard, but a little more relaxation time.
