Water-Efficient Landscaping for Northern Nevada’s High Desert Climate

Northern Nevada’s high desert climate presents unique challenges for designing and maintaining a landscaped area. Reno, Nevada receives less than 7 ½ inches of rainfall per year and many plants would not survive in the area without some form of irrigation.

As more households look to reduce water consumption, xeriscaping has become increasingly popular as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional landscape design. Xeriscaping minimizes the need for supplemental irrigation systems by prioritizing vegetation with low water requirements and efficient watering techniques.  To achieve this, landscape designers favor the use of native plant species and intelligent design choices such as grouping plants together with similar water-consumption needs.

Often people think xeriscaping is just a bunch of rock, no grass, maybe some cactus, and the odd ornamental plant but that’s really not the case. Xeriscaping is seven principles you can apply to any style of landscaping. The seven principles of water-efficient landscaping are based on planning and design, soil analysis and improvement, practical turf areas, appropriate plant selection, watering wisely, mulching, and appropriate maintenance. High-quality landscape experts should be able to design xeriscapes that strike the perfect balance between water efficiency, ease of maintenance, and aesthetics.

A well-designed and implemented xeriscape offers many other benefits as well:

• Increases the value of your home
• Lowers the cost of your water bill
• Conserves natural resources
• Reduces energy consumption
• Reduces air pollution
• Decreases cost of heating and cooling your home
• Reduces runoff from stormwater and irrigation systems
• Decreases amount of material sent to the landfill
• Reduces labor and maintenance costs
• Extends the life of water resources
• Expands living space at lower cost than comparable “inside” space

DRC Landscaping is the best company to use for your next landscaping project. We are experts in Northern Nevada xeriscaping and using our experience, we will develop a beautiful, water-wise outdoor space that you can enjoy for years to come. Contact us today to get started!