Xeriscape

Xeriscape. I love that word. When I didn't know what it meant, I imagined a kaleidescope of color and textures, swirls of motion, something exotic.

"Xeri" means dry.  Dry landscape. Now it wasn't sounding so pretty after all. Who'd want to do that!?! Uh, me. Along with lots of other southwesterners. If you live in a drought-prone state, you know what I'm talking about! California, Texas, Nevada, Colorado all promote xeriscaping. New Mexico has an actual Xeriscape Council. Yes! Go home-state Land of Enchantment!!!

Wanna see what it looks like? I took a walk yesterday through my Arizona neighborhood and this is a sampling of what I saw:


 

Definitely a kaleidescope of textures and colors. Exotic cactus. What is that thing in the middle? The golf course is eco-conscious as well. Those are native grasses surrounding the fairway. The photo definitely doesn't do them justice ~ they're tall and wave gently in the breeze.

 

Where are the sounds, you ask? Well, of an evening you'll hear owls and coyotes. If you could get a closeup of the saguaro (tall cactus, lower right), you'd see that the woodpeckers have tap-tap-tapped their way inside. Can't you hear the skitttering quail and the beep-beep of the roadrunner as it zooms its way across the street in the background?

 

You better keep your eyes wide-open. You wouldn't want to miss that silent, sneaky scorpion waving it's venomous tail as it approaches.  

Xeriscape. Beautiful indeed.