Want to DIY xeriscape your yard? Here’s how Boise homeowners can kill their lawn
When the irrigation system at Yoni Melchert’s North End home started to break last fall, it was the end of the line for her lawn — but not because she was unable to water it.
The Boise resident had recently replaced her fence and would have to dig up her lawn to remove the failing irrigation lines. Melchert decided it was the perfect time to overhaul her property with drought-tolerant plants that could withstand the heat and direct sun of her home’s south- and west-facing exposures.
Melchert is one of a growing number of Boise residents turning to xeriscaping, or water-conserving landscaping, to reduce their water use, restore native plants and help local pollinators.
“I was tired of battling our clay-heavy soils,” Melchert said.
She started renovating her yard this spring. Six months later, the property has been transformed with gravel mulch, sprouts of xeric plants and a patch of newly seeded drought-tolerant lawn that won’t require any mowing to maintain. Melchert said she still has other plans for the space, but the process has taught her a lot about landscaping in Boise’s high-desert environment — including how others can do the same.
Boise homeowners can xeriscape on their own
Melchert worked with Terravita landscaping company to construct a plan for her property, taking into account the intense sun on two sides of her property and the shade of her backyard. Then she rolled up her sleeves.
“We tried to do as much as humanly possible ourselves,” she told the Idaho Statesman. “We can dig holes, we can put plants in the ground.”
Peggy Faith, owner of Boise-based Xeric Gardening landscaping company, said many people opt to go the same route as Melchert. Faith offers landscaping services, redesigns and installation — she does the landscaping for the Modern Hotel downtown — but she also consults those who are interested in doing the labor themselves.
“A lot of this stuff homeowners can do on their own,” Faith told the Statesman in an interview. “I can be as involved as folks would like.”
The first step for most people is removing their existing lawn. Faith’s website outlines a few options for doing this, including using herbicide or a sod cutter. She said her preferred method — and one that’s less labor intensive — is smothering lawns to kill the grass. This can be done with plastic tarps left on the lawn long enough to block water and sun, or with thick layers of natural materials like cardboard or newspaper. Faith said the latter can be left on the ground, where it will serve as a weed barrier before breaking down and releasing nutrients into the soil.
Faith also encouraged planting in the fall, when drought-tolerant plants will have more time to establish the deep root systems that keep them alive in Idaho’s dry summer conditions. Before you plant, here are some tips from Faith and Melchert on xeriscaping your own property.
Do your research
Melchert said one of the most helpful parts of her renovation was asking questions in the community. She bought plants at Draggin’ Wing High Desert Nursery, a local xeric plant nursery, and got pointers from owner Diane Jones. She was able to find plants she was excited to grow and knew how to care for, including ones that create habitat and food for local pollinators like bees.
In Faith’s consultations, she helps educate homeowners about what will work in their yards and how to care for their new plants. She said sometimes clients have non-xeric trees or plants they hope to keep, and she has to work with them to ensure their new xeric plans don’t cause the existing plants to die.
Have a plan
When it comes to landscaping, there is a lot to consider. Which parts of your property get the most sun or shade? What kinds of plants thrive in those conditions? What areas might require more or less water, and how can you group plant species to avoid over- or underwatering some?
Melchert said she noticed one spot in her yard that collected water when it rained. She created a dry riverbed with stones to help direct rain to her plants in the future.
Planning can also be crucial to keeping plants alive. Faith said she often installs plants when they’re very small, so she uses small wire cages to protect them from being trampled by people or nibbled on by hungry critters.
Start small
Xeriscaping doesn’t have to be completed in one fell swoop — especially because it can sometimes be cost prohibitive, Melchert said.
She advised starting small with an area like mow strips — the swath of grass between the road and sidewalk — to begin conserving water without taking on a huge project.
“Find a place that’s driving you crazy and redo it in a few weekends,” Melchert said.
Tailor to your needs
Melchert kept a small, drought-tolerant lawn for her dogs. Faith said many of her clients also worry about completely removing lawn if they have pets or children. She advised planting buffalo grass or other native grasses that use less water and require less maintenance.
She said clover lawns, which have become popular after being featured on TikTok, are also an option, though they feed non-native honeybees rather than Idaho’s native bee species.
Faith said she also tries to create gardens that are realistic for their owners. She’ll recommend different plants for someone who wants zero maintenance than for someone who’s OK with spending a few hours weeding.
“I want them to love their garden, so I want to design it for their lifestyle,” Faith said.
While xeric gardens need regular watering while plants get established, many require no additional watering once they’re mature.
Be patient
Faith has a saying about xeric gardens: “The first year sleeps, the second year creeps and the third year leaps.”
It can take a bit for drought-tolerant gardens to begin growing, and even when plants are mature they aren’t as showy as some traditional garden plants. Faith said it takes about three years for her designs to start showing their full potential, and they continue to improve with time.
“Most people in the beginning are like, ‘Oh, three years, that’s so long!’” Faith said. “But you know, it just flies.”
This story was originally published October 7, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
