This Low-Water Landscaping Trend Requires Way Less Maintenance Than Grass

Close your eyes and envision the ideal, manicured lawn. Do you see a sprawling expanse of emerald turf grass, lush and healthy with nary a dandelion in sight? Sure hope you live near the Isle of Skye. “If you try to grow turf grass in an arid climate, you will need to create an artificial Scotland to replace the many inches of rainfall the grass needs but doesn’t receive,” says Dakota Petersen, a lifelong resident of the Sonoran Desert who has participated in several landscape restoration projects around Phoenix and Scottsdale and at Cosanti Originals, where he acts as the outreach and development ambassador. “This can be very costly to maintain and wastes water, our most important resource.” 

So, if you don’t have a pet Highland cow and the only time you’ve donned a kilt was that year you dressed as William Wallace for Halloween, it’s time to explore the low-water landscaping method known as xeriscaping. Not only will you save a bundle on your monthly water bill; you’ll also have less active yard maintenance, and you can dramatically increase your home’s curb appeal. “Leave the grass to the cows,” Petersen says, “and keep for yourself a xeriscape that will provide sustainable, responsible delight for many years to come.”

Read on to find expert tips for xeric landscaping design, key principles to keep in mind, and plenty of xeriscape ideas and photos for inspiration. 

What Is Xeriscaping?

Xeriscaping is a water-efficient landscaping method that replaces the traditional plants and grassy lawn, known as a turf lawn, with plants that have low water needs, often native species and those adapted to arid environments. Many adopters also incorporate hardscaping elements (think boulders, flagstone patios, and gravel paths) that further reduce maintenance while boosting your garden’s functionality, sustainability, and climate resilience. 

Don’t fret if you’re a guy who digs a lush and colorful lawn. “Xeriscaping doesn’t–and shouldn’t–just mean a yard full of scorching hot rock with a couple token plants thrown in,” says Jack Dash, the gardens and facilities manager at Tucson’s Tohono Chul Sonoran Botanic Garden and Arboretum and author of The Southwest Native Plant Primer. “Creating a multilayered garden that makes use of trees, shrubs, perennials, cacti, and grasses will allow you to blend beautiful colors and textures while shading and cooling the soil.”

In other words: Don’t confuse xeriscaping with zeroscaping, which involves replacing grass and other plants with a yard covered in dirt, gravel, or river rocks. That tactic will also reduce your water consumption, but it may reduce your home’s aesthetics along with it.

Key Xeriscaping Principles

Design for minimal water usage.

Start with a plan that embraces an arid environment using native and low-water plants and reduction (or elimination) of turf grass. Factor in the microclimates within your yard like the corner shaded by your house and the front yard that bakes in the sun. 

Prepare the soil.

Decide how significantly you will change, or amend, the soil in your yard. This will depend on your soils’ natural composition, your desired aesthetic and preferred plants, and your budget, notes Annie Shaw, co-founder of Xeric Oasis, a San Francisco-based sustainable landscape design firm and 2025 Best of Houzz award-winner. Amending the soil, at least to some extent, will likely open the pallet of plants suitable for your environment. If you have heavy clay in your yard, consider creating berms or raised beds of fast-draining soil to suit the type of plants you’d like to grow, she adds.

Water efficiently.

Drip irrigation systems distribute water directly to the roots through a series of small underground tubes. Valves called emitters control how much water the plant gets, effectively creating a slow drip rather than a spray or stream. Smart drip irrigation systems have controllers and sensors that further cater the water distribution to the plant’s specific needs, unlike traditional automatic timer systems that run on a fixed schedule, notes Angelica Elliott, assistant director of public horticulture at Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. Elliott also suggests using separate irrigation lines for each distinct type of plant life, e.g., one for trees, one for shrubs, etc. 

Many landscape architects advise grouping plants by their water needs, a practice known as “hydrozoning.” This helps to simplify the irrigation system but may limit your ability to be creative with the landscape design.

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Use rainwater to your advantage.

Some xeric designs adapt the physical terrain of the landscape–or adjust it using mounds and berms–to more effectively channel and collect rainfall. In this case, plants with extremely low water needs like cacti and succulents are placed higher (e.g., on a mound), Dash explains. Then, plants with higher water needs are grouped in a basin that collects rainwater. You might also consider planting at the start of your region’s rainy season, thereby using rainwater to help your plants get established.

Incorporate mulch.

Adding sections of mulch at least three inches thick to your yard helps to retain moisture, reduce the number of weeds, regulate soil temperatures, and improve your soil over time. Mulch requires little maintenance but not no maintenance, says Lauren Floyd, design assistant with C&H Landscaping, a custom landscaping firm in Denver. It needs to be fluffed and top-dressed each season to prevent becoming too compacted.

Add hardscaping for eye-catching flair. 

Boulders, paths, and seating areas create visual interest in your landscape design. Shaw suggests using a boulder as a focal point and developing pathways with permeable, decomposed granite or gravel to invite exploration of your garden. A dry riverbed of stones is a beautiful addition that doubles as a rain collection site. Adding a shallow, decorative bowl filled with gravel and water will benefit birds and pollinators without wasting water.

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Will Xeriscaping Save Me Money?

With xeriscaping, you’re playing the long game in terms of cost savings. Amending the soil, purchasing low-water plants, and working with a designer knowledgeable about xeriscaping will all contribute to heavy upfront costs. Xeriscape naysayers will also point out, accurately, that traditional turf grass is generally less expensive to plant. 

Once your xeric plants are established, however, they need 50 to 70 percent less water. So, expect to reduce your water bill considerably, along with fertilization costs, adds Phil Steinhauer, a landscape architect and CEO of Denver-based Designscapes Colorado. Plus, the low-maintenance nature of a xeriscaped yard will save you effort or money, depending on how much yardwork you typically outsource. There’s also the benefit to your home’s value, which will increase with a beautiful yard. On an even larger scale, you’re doing something good for the globe by not wasting water on what Shaw calls “ornamental landscaping.” 

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Xeriscape Ideas for Every Yard 

Think your xeriscaped yard must be full of sparse, prickly, brown plants that look “sort of alive but mostly dead”? Think again, Shaw says. “We design gardens that are xeric and drought tolerant in many different styles,” she says. “They can be rich, lush, and full of color and life. They can be architectural, modern, and dynamic, or they can be quite subtle. They can be very serene spaces as well. You can have anything you want, and it can be low water.” 

Here, Shaw and fellow landscaping expert Catherine Wells, owner of Mandala Landscape + Design in Boulder, CO, offer ideas for how to xeriscape different areas in your yard. 

Front Yard Xeriscape Ideas

Your front yard xeriscape should focus on increasing visual impact. Use design elements like:

Gravel and stepping stone pathways, which help to break up sections of your front yard, get you and your guests from Point A to Point B, and pack an aesthetically pleasing punch–and they don’t require water or seasonal maintenance.

Native plant borders, which can be used to define different “outdoor rooms” in a single area. One key thing to keep in mind: Scale matters. “Placing something too tall right next to a walkway or patio can make the space feel tight or closed in,” Wells says, “so it’s important to give those areas a little breathing room.”

Statement boulders, which are low-water (obviously) and lovely year-round. Shaw often adds them in the front-yard corners for passing dogs. “Give them a nice, beautiful rock to aim for,” she says, noting that plants don’t like that kind of watering. “It really is going to save your plants.”

A minimalist, modern aesthetic with “clean lines, strong material choices, and more intentional, spaced-out plantings,” Wells says. “What makes it work is contrast and balance.”

Backyard Xeriscape Ideas

A backyard can be a private sanctuary hidden from the world, a gathering place for barbecues and garden parties, a miniature amusement park for the kids, or all the above. “Outdoor living spaces are where a yard really becomes usable, not just something to look at,” Wells says. “The best designs reflect how a homeowner wants to use their yard based on their lifestyle, time, and budget.”

Backyard xeriscape possibilities include:

Outdoor living spaces like a fire pit, seating area, or outdoor kitchen. Keep function in mind, Wells says, noting that “placing an outdoor kitchen too far from the house might look good on a plan, but it’s not practical if you’re carrying food back and forth.”

Xeriscape patio designs, which are typically made from concrete, pavers, or flagstone. When it comes to layout, curves tend to feel more natural, though they may limit usable space for furniture. “Whatever size you think you need, go a bit larger,” Wells says. “It’s not just about fitting the furniture itself but allowing enough space for it to function properly.”

Shade gardens, which are planted in an area with minimal direct sunlight and often feature many layers (or shades) of leaf color and texture. For a xeric shade garden, choose drought-tolerant plants that can thrive in the specific low-light conditions of your yard. 

Artificial turf as a traditional turf replacement. Note, however, that artificial turf can be expensive, must be installed correctly, and still needs to be rinsed periodically, especially in homes with pets.

Small Yard Xeriscape Ideas

Minimal square footage? No problem. “A smaller footprint doesn’t mean less function,” Wells says. “When designed well, these spaces can feel incredibly intentional and usable.”

Consider xeriscaping in your smaller space with:

The addition of a small patio or seating area, which turns a water-sucking turf lawn into another space to sit, relax, and entertain.

Containers of plants, especially on patios and balconies. They add height, color, and beauty and also offer a chance to do some small-scale vegetable or herb gardening. 

Vertical gardens like trellises, screens, and climbing plants, which add visual interest using minimal space. They can also provide a sense of privacy.

Compact rock and succulent layouts where well-placed elements will look more attractive than trying to fit too much into a small area.