Xeriscape

Xeriscape is a term first coined in Denver, Colorado to describe a quality landscaping that conserves water, is easy to maintain and also protects the environment. Xeriscape comes from the word Xeros, meaning dry, and the suffix, scape, from landscape. It is a term that has become universally synonymous with water conservation.

History : In 1981, as a result of a water shortage forecast, Ken Ball, Water Conservation Educator with the Water Department of Denver, Colorado, formed a task force representing both private and public sectors, to reduce the amount of water used in urban landscapes. Broad community involvement was sought with the objective to create an ongoing cooperative education program on landscape water conservation. Nancy Leavitt, an Environmental Planner, for the Denver Water Department, created the word Xeriscape as a name for both the garden and the education program. The newly trademarked name, Xeriscape, caught on as well as the concept, and within the first year, many communities in the United States were seeking information to implement their own programs. In Texas, Xeriscape programs began in 1984 in San Antonio, with the help of the Cooperative Service of Texas A & M and Dr. Douglas Welsh. Communities in California, Colorado, Arizona, Texas and Florida began Xeriscape programs, and by 1985, a nonprofit organization, The National Xeriscape Council, Inc. was created to assist in the demand for information. Forty-one states and three foreign countries were actively involved in Xeriscape activities by the early 1990's. The goal of the original task force was to make the concept as simple as possible to encourage public participation. Therefore, emphasis is placed on seven fundamental principles that are appropriate anywhere and can be adapted to any given environment.