Xeriscape is now "Water Wise"

Due to everyones inability to wrap their head around the word "xeriscape" we are now calling these landscapes or plantings "Water Wise". Dallas just hosted their annual Water Wise home tour this last weekend and I went along for the ride.

First, there are still plenty of examples of what I now call the "English Garden" look. It's an eclectic mix of plants that smacks of way too many trips to the plant store. "Oh look, lets get one of those and see how it does."

There are also examples of Water Wise that clearly aren't. One had an artificial stream running through it! She said (since I asked) that her water bill is only $32. They must not shower in that house.

But I was heartened to see that some designers were beginning to grasp the idea without making a mess. I saw a one really nice example out of the 10 we visited, and the 10 that I viewed on-line. Unfortunately not one of the homeowners was touting a percentage of savings from the effort. I find that curious but maybe I am the only one who actually tracks the savings from my non "Water Wise" yard.

So, next year I plan on entering the event. I am going to show how to get 30% water savings and look like a normal landscape. Every time someone says "well where is the jumble of water wise plants"? I'll just turn the sprinklers on them.