COMPONENTS OF THE IRRIGATION-FREE
LANDSCAPE
1. THE SITE
This particular landscape type is for sites that are prone to hot / dry conditions, where plants easily
show signs of drought stress without supplemental water. Using a combination of drought-tolerant
plants, an innovative planting technique, and a drought training for the plants, the landscapes can
excel and thrive despite drought and without any supplemental irrigation.
2. SITE PREPARATION
As deep root growth is essential to the survival of plants in the irrigation-free landscape, the soil
on-site must be decompacted and amended if particularly clay-heavy.
3. PLANTING, DROUGHT TRAINING, MULCH
As plants in the nursery setting are watered every day, they grow accustomed to this regular
watering and must be weaned off of it. They also need to develop a deep root system in order to
be able to withstand drought. Thus, each plant is planted in its own watering basin (see photos
below), and the watering is spaced out across the first growing season so as to cause the plant to
become accustomed to periods of no precipitation. Mulch is then applied.
COMPONENTS OF THE IRRIGATION-FREE
LANDSCAPE
4. PLANT MATERIALS
Plants are selected not only for their ability to withstand drought, but for their ability to appear tidy
and attractive even when not in bloom. Other criteria used for plant selection include: noninvasive, long bloom time (and early- or late-blooming for maximum visual interest across the
seasons), value to wildlife, form, foliage, and texture.
5. THE LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION
The irrigation-free landscape is wildlife-friendly but formal enough to fit comfortably within a
front-yard setting. It is an aesthetic middle ground between a full-on prairie restoration and a
conventional landscape of turf and a few evergreen shrubs.