Xeriscaping gains popularity as Florida-friendly landscaping during drought
TAMPA, Fla. - Landscaping that conserves natural resources is being touted as ‘Florida-friendly’ because it reduces water usage as drought continues.
Florida is experiencing a harsh dry season, with drought conditions that continue to build across the Bay Area. A long October with little to no rainfall is a stark difference from the flooding conditions many in the Bay Area experienced just months ago during Hurricane Idalia.
The drastic swing in climate here in the Sunshine State is now prompting some residents to turn to a new form of landscaping to protect their front yards and save money.
It’s called "xeriscaping," -- but some locals now call it Florida-friendly landscaping.
The idea is to use alternatives to grass – instead, filling your yard with rocks, sand, stones, cacti, or native plants that can withstand the rough climate. Not only will it help the climate, but it can be environmentally friendly, and save homeowners money on maintenance and watering costs.
"The look is really nice, it’s pretty, but it comes with a bunch of benefits as well," Megan Wages of Fancy Free Nursery explained. "You’re using less volume [for your] water system, it’s more environmentally friendly, and for some of the homes we do it for, it elevates the style."
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One of Fancy Free Nursery’s biggest customers, Rashida Jones, has completely xeriscaped her home herself.
"When I moved here in 2021, the yard was awful. At the time, we were in a drought, and I couldn’t feasibly put in yard grass when I knew we didn’t have the water to sustain it," Jones said. "I thought, what could actually work here?’ I thought it would be a really cool experiment to put in."
Jones’ yard is made up of rocks and cacti plants.
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"Everything out here does not need water. It grows on its own and creates its own ecosystem. I get bubble-bees, lizards and fruit and people like to come by and see it too," she said.
The Florida Department of Transportation also uses a form of Florida-friendly landscaping for highways, streets, and public parks. A commercial landscape architect who works with FDOT says it’s been key to his design for years.
"One hundred percent of what I do is Florida-friendly landscape. There’s no reason not to. I am trying to design something for longevity and sustainability, so why would I design something with plants that aren’t going to survive," Jonathan Toner of Terra Tectonics landscaping said. "You always have to go back to the native plants; they were here before we were, and they live and survive."
Tampa Bay Ponds & Rocks, a Dunedin business that specializes in xeriscaping recommends using boulders to create height in your yard, and different shades of stone to compliment your home.