Xeric GardensDryland Gardening and XeriscapingXeric gardens, or water wise gardens, are not necessarily a dry desert looking place, with hardy cacti and rocks, although in my garden rocks play an important part.A xeric garden is an intimately intertwined eco-system of plants, insects, birds and small mammals, and above all, a haven of peace for the gardener.
Xeriscaping is the art of plant placement, water conservation and other management strategies for water wise gardening. Thoughtful selection of plants from many different groups ensures that you have food sources and safe habitats for wildlife. I grow many xeric garden plants for rustic crafts. Some of the plants that I commonly use are willows (Salix), Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera), Ponderosa pine and native clump maple (Acer douglasii). Investigate the potential of shrubs and trees in your area to see which plants native to your locale are most suitable for these uses. Many commonly grown xeric plants from our great-grandmothers time are some of the very best drought tolerant plants; not only beautiful they are sought after as pollinator attractants in your nectar corridor particularly these plants for bees. They are also prized for their medicinal properties. That's why they're still around and popular as ever! 
Lupines (Lupinus) and many other legumes are examples of this type of plant, with a long thick taproot.If you look at the roots of day lilies (Hemerocallis) you can see that they are fleshy, able to save water. Others such as thyme have a fine netting of roots spreading far beyond the top growth of the plant. Even moss and lichen have the ability to survive long dry periods. There are many tactics that enable the plant to either seek out moisture hidden in the soil, or to store it, or go dormant until better conditions occur. Gardening SmartWays that you can successfully build your xeric garden are to choose plants with these strategies, add compost to your xeric garden soil, and mulch well.
If you can cut the materials into smaller pieces, so much the better. One method is to put your raked fall leaves into a metal container such as a garbage can and run the string trimmer through it like a blender. The smaller you chop the pieces, the faster it will rot. Place the chopped leaves into plastic bags and add some horse manure or other animal manure (except dog or cat), already processed compost from a previous batch to start the micro-organisms going, or sprinkle on some compost tea or liquid organic fertilizer.
I like the look of lava rock, especially around plants such as Sedum or Sempervivum, but other kinds of rock look equally good. Rock mulches are best used in permanent plantings of perennials, herbs or shrubs, not around annuals or vegetables.
Small river rock or gravel, sifted to remove really large boulders is beautiful for a dry creek bed or used around mixed perennials and shrubs. Even areas that are composed almost entirely of boulders can become beautiful xeric gardens like this one in Greys County in Ontario (this link opens in a new window) by utilizing the rocks and pebbles as mulch. These kinds of non-flammable mulches are now recommended for use in areas where there is a risk of wildfires. Agricultural waste such as straw, wood chips and moldy hay can be used in your organic vegetable garden as long as you can keep an eye on slugs or other pests which love the damp conditions found there. 
I collect the discarded scales from Douglas fir cones after the squirrels finish with them, as these and other organic mulches such as chopped leaves, pine needle mulch, bark and compost are perfect around woodland plants. The additional organic matter will benefit your soil as these kinds of mulches rot down over time. See how Mother Nature goes about protecting her garden from drought and take inspiration from it. Be innovative and sustainable, using materials that otherwise would be taken to the curb, such as leaves and grass clippings to make your xeric garden glow with health.
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build compost bins, out of wood, wire, large plastic bins and so on. The main advantages to these are that it's much neater (for those with the tidy gene) and it keeps animals and vermin at bay. 
Xeriscaping - Landscaping with Less Water
Gardening with a Light Hand on the Land
The focus is on landscaping with easy care drought tolerant plants like Sedum, Sempervivum and thyme and using natural materials to build rock retaining walls and it's easy to see why.
It used to be that once in a while these kinds of plants would come to the fore, and successfully maneuver dry summers, but now it's obvious that these are the most suited to what is becoming the norm.
Interested in learning how to build a patio? See this page for patio design ideas.
Seeing how beautiful these unique landscapes are and how well they perform in challenging conditions will encourage others to find unique plants to use in their own xeric garden.
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