Xerophilous Gardening
Introduction
A xerogarden or xerophilic garden is a garden cultivated with plants of high ornamental value and low water consumption. A xerogarden is made up of xerophytes, that is, plants that endure in an arid environment. For this reason, the design of xeriscapes, called xeriscaping or xerolandscapes, has spread rapidly throughout the dry areas of the planet, seeking the recovery of native species.
Cacti and other succulents such as aloes, agaves or crassulaceae, but also plants from dry climates such as lavender, juniper or thyme. Plants whose natural requirements are appropriate to the local climate are increased, and care is taken to avoid water loss through evaporation and leaks.
Etymology
In ancient Greek, ξηρός xērós means 'dry', 'arid'. It was used as a prefix to form the neologism xerojardinería (in Spanish), although its first use is found in the English language, xeriscape, which is an acronym of the same prefix and scape ('landscape'). In the same way xeriscaping translates as "xeriscaping", that is, landscaping for arid environments. This term was coined in 1981 by the City of Denver, Colorado Water Department and the Xeriscape™ trademark remains its property.[1].
The correct way to pronounce these words that begin with x- is /seˈɾoxaɾˈðin/ and /seˈɾofilo/. However, it is common in common language and in the media to hear it with / ∫-/ and even the archaism /ks-/.
In some areas, the terms water-conserving landscapes, drought-tolerant landscapes, zero-irrigation, or smart landscaping are used instead.
History
Xeriscaping emerged in the United States in the early 1980s. The state of California suffered a terrible drought in 1977 which, added to population growth, put water pressure in the region to the limit. You have to understand the context in which xeriscaping arises; The United States is a country where almost everyone has a house with a garden. In the rainy regions of the Eastern states, it does not represent a major environmental problem, but as the West of the country has been populated, in arid states such as Arizona, California or Utah, water reserves have decreased to alarmingly low levels. In many cases, these gardens included grass that required daily watering, and other non-native plants were also introduced. From there, new forms of gardening were proposed that maintained aesthetic and landscaping functionality while reducing water consumption.[2] The practice has spread widely in certain countries with arid climates. In Spain, xeriscaping was widely spread starting in the 90s, due to several droughts.[3].