Peter Eschbach, Director of Communications and External Affairs at New York American Water says “Water is our most valuable resource here on earth. However there is a limited amount of water here. The more we overuse and waste our water, the more we deplete our greatest resource.” The only extensive watering necessary for xeriscape landscapes is during the first year. Common landscaping requires at least 60 inches of valuable fresh water each year and Long Island averages only eight inches of rainfall per year. In comparison, xeriscaping uses about one half to two thirds less water, which means a considerably lower water bill.

By grouping plants by their water needs, using mulch and drought tolerant plants, you will conserve water usage. You will also have healthier gardens and landscapes and less need for fertilizers and pesticides. Consider that what you do in your yard and garden will eventually affect your water source and from there, any nearby bodies of water. We hear a lot about pollution from industry and factories. We learned from our visitors at New York American Water that these are considered “point sources”. Homeowners and individuals are considered “nonpoint” sources of pollution. While you may not think the fertilizer and insecticides you use on your plants is excessive, the combined runoff from all “nonpoint sources” is considerable.

If all this doesn’t convince you to think about xeriscaping, maybe some of the following positive scenarios will help change your mind:

n No more mowing! Xeriscaping does not involve regular lawn grass so you will no longer have the chore of mowing or need to pay someone to do it.

n Save money on fertilizer, a lawn mower, seeding and labor, because xeriscaping barely needs any maintenance, not to mention lowering your water bill considerably.

n Save time. Maintaining a regular lawn so it looks beautiful can be very time consuming.

n Keep the air clean. Gas powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and weed trimmers add to our air pollution. For xeriscaping, you will need none of these.