Canada City Sees Rise in Xeriscaping

Instead of a neatly trimmed lawn of standard Kentucky bluegrass, Randy Penner has 70 square metres of Prairie grasses and wildflowers.

And instead of spending the end of the summer mowing and watering the grass, Penner can sit back and watch the asters bloom.

"If you don't like mowing lawns, like I don't, you have less to do," Penner said. "You don't have to water. You don't have to fertilize."

Xeriscaping, a type of landscaping that relies on drought-resistant, often native plant species, was popularized in the 1970s to deal with drought south of the U.S. border.

But proponents say enthusiasm has perked up again in recent years, and yards filled with flowers like wild bergamot and columbine and grasses like big and little bluestem are showing up on Winnipeg lawns and city-owned property.

"There's a growing interest in the environment, and especially the last few years I would say," said Prairie Originals owner Shirley Froehlich, who sells native plants. "People seemed to take notice of the native plants more, and are thinking about using them more in their own gardens."

The term "xeriscaping" roughly translates from Greek to "dry land," said Brandon horticulturalist Norah Tolmie.

The practice originally involved using plants that could get by without much water, and covering soil with bark or stone to keep the temperature even.

"It's evolved to mean kind of low-maintenance, low-input gardening," said Tolmie, and might now include using plants best suited to shaded areas or particular types of soil.

"Xeriscaping purists will use only native plants," she said, but others might use any plants that are adept at responding to drought, or can handle wet patches of lawn.

Some people choose a flowerbed style, said Froehlich, with neat, orderly rows, and others opt for the more haphazard Prairie style, with different plants grown together.

Xeriscaped yards or gardens need less weeding and don't require any water or fertilizer. Advocates say there's also the advantage of conserving natural habitat for birds and insects: Milkweed is especially popular for attracting monarch butterflies.

The butterflies and dragonflies are nice, but Penner said there is one drawback.

His natural garden is "mosquito heaven."

"My daughter would like to have this turned into a pool," he laughed.

The City of Winnipeg is also trying its hand at xeriscaping: As a pilot project, staff have planted plots of native grasses and flowers in a few areas, including on the median along Sterling Lyon Parkway.

"It's really lower-maintenance, water-efficient landscaping," said Don Budinsky, manager of parks and open space.

There are environmental benefits too, he said, with no pesticides needed for the natural plants.

"Do we really need manicured Kentucky bluegrass everywhere, particularly along 70- or 80-kilometre-per-hour roadways?"