Question
Hello Russel Ray,

My husband and I recently purchased a home in Rio Rancho, NM and are interested in xeriscaping are backyard. But don't know where to start. I have tried searching online for xeriscaping ideas, but have not been very lucky. What would you suggest? Where do we start? Most landscapers suggestion, envisioning their yard and what they want their yard to be like. But were do you go from there?

Currently, our yard is composed of sand like soil - covered with small rocks. It includes one unknown tree, which doesn't seem to be doing well (no leaves). As you can tell, I do not have a green thumb and so I am looking for something that will be easily maintained, be water friendly and cost efficient.

Any suggestions on where to start will be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
Martha in Rio Rancho NM

Answer
Hey, Martha.

With you lack of a green thumb and living in Rio Rancho, you sound like the ideal candidate for a xeriscape garden. There are several things you can do, but first and foremost, don't let someone else dictate to you what your garden should be. My rule of thumb is that a garden should invite its owners outdoors to enjoy it. If it doesn't do that, then it's the wrong type of garden for that owner.

My wise old grandmother (http://www.mywiseoldgrandmother.com) got me started with cactus forty years ago, and while I still thoroughly love them, they are not appropriate in many cases (such as with small children around) because the great majority of them have some nasty thorns. However, there are some very nice tree-size ones that will grow as fast as a tree and provide shade where you might want it.

For those who want a tropical landscape without the hassles of watering every four hours, succulents are the way to go. It is probably the largest genus of plants and you can find something for every mood you might have. There are small plants, large plants, colorful leaves and colorful flowers (including near-black aeoniums with gorgeous yellow flower stalks), etc. The great majority of them are very adaptable to different soils, different watering schedules, lack of watering schedules, etc.

There are a lot of landscapes in Arizona and New Mexico that consist simply of a few plants and mostly rocks, what I call the "Phoenix style." And while I personally don't like it, it can be functional.

You might also consider container gardening where you clear the land, install some large rocks, boulders, gravel, etc.--perhaps create a dry river bed--and then put strategically placed large containers, or groupings of containers, and grow what you want in the containers. The advantage of container gardening is that you can change with the seasons, planting petunias for the summer, snapdragons for the fall, and pansies for the winter. Then only water what needs watering.

I have a large file that discusses vegetation, especially low-water-use vegetation, that I normally sell for $4.99 to the general public. If you'll email me directly at [email protected], I'll provide it to you for free. I don't want to put the link on a public message board.