1	Zero - scape...? Or...
2
3	A Xeriscape should save water Well-planned Attractive Easy to care for Functional Disease & pest resistant Right for your local environment
4	So how do you make a Xeriscape? Planning and design Practical turf areas Plant selection Soil Analysis & Improvement Mulch Efficient Irrigation Appropriate Maintenance
5	Step One - Planning and Design What do you love about your yard? What do you hate? What can’t you change? Do you like to BBQ? Play football or croquet? Grow tomatoes? Look out the window? Raise dogs? Attract birds? Sunbathe in the nude? How much can you spend? How much D.I.Y. do you want to do? What kind of maintenance do you like to do?
6	Next, put it all down on paper -- Mark things to watch for - easements, power lines, etc. Break it into sections to do one at a time, over time. Make copies - stick one up to refer to as you work, & take one with you to the nursery so you won’t forget.
7	Step Two: Practical Turf Areas How do you use your lawn? How much lawn do you need? What designs are best? What kind of grass do you want? What are the alternatives to turf?
8	Round or square? Flat or hilly? Sun or shade? Exotic or native? Grass or something else? Evaporation comes mostly from the edge. A circle has the least edge per area. Water runs downhill - have you considered terracing? Edging takes time & lots of it! What do you do with shade? What about the “Hell strip?”
9	Step Three: Plant Selection Consider all plant forms, from vines to vegetables. Know your zone. Know your dirt. Know your sun. Don’t put an 8’ plant in a 4’ space! Native is good; exotic is good; invasive or pest-ridden is bad. Group by water & light needs.
10	Above all -- Choose drought-tolerant plants adapted to your area Choose plants you like Choose plants you want to take care of. Consider your yard an extension of your living space -- decorate it, just as you would your living room.
11	Step Four: Soil Analysis & Improvement Get to know your dirt! The best dirt is equal parts sand, silt & clay. In South Texas we have mostly clay or sand, with a basic pH - in either case, the best thing is add is organic material. Make your own compost, buy peat, manure, or topsoil, but don’t use green grass clippings.
12	Step Five: Mulch! Reduce evaporation Moderate root temperature Suppress weeds Look good!
13	Step Six: Efficient Irrigation Group plants by water needs. Water early or late, but not at mid-day. Don’t water in the wind! Think in circles, not in long, skinny strips What kind of water-delivery system do you want?
14	Choose your system wisely In-ground methods Automated or manual Drip systems Sprinklers Hand-watering No-water or naturalized zones
15	Step Seven: Appropriate Maintenance Don’t do it just because your neighbors do - learn to “read” your plants Find out what water-stress looks like (or use indicator plants) Learn what signs mean disease or pests are poised to strike Find out when your yard needs fertilizer, as opposed to when your local discount store needs to sell it - the dates may not be the same!
16	Look to the Past - Keep a Garden Journal The Victorians did it - why can’t you? A journal lets you see seasonal patterns in your yard. Knowing the patterns lets you anticipate needs before they happen. It doesn’t have to be formal - a small notebook & a pencil stub in your pocket is enough.
17	Above all, remember -