This story was written by Mike Evans who is co-owner of Tree of Life Nursery, in San Juan Capistrano, California. He has served on the Xeriscape Committee in California since its foundation.

Xeriscape Talk about a new word for the 80’s! What is it? Is it “high-tech”? (Most new words are, these days.) We’ve heard every imaginable pronunciation … of course, only one is correct... Zeer-i-scape. Sounds like Greek to you? Well, it is. What’s it mean? In Greek, the word “Xeros” means “dry.” And, we all know what a “scape” is. But, Xeriscape is much more than a “dry landscape.” The correct definition is “The Conservation of Water Through Creative Landscaping.” Xeriscape. In the southwest, it could be called The Landscape of the 80’s.

Where did it come from and how did it get here? Since the Denver Water Department initiated the program in 1981 and coined the word, the concept has been promoted and accepted wherever water conservation is an important issue. In 1982, the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) obtained permission from Denver to adopt the name and logo; both trademarked. The first Xeriscape Conference in California was held in April, 1983 sponsored by MWDOC and the Long Beach / Orange County Chapter of the California Landscape Contractors’ Association. Since then, Southern California conferences have been held annually.

The two-fold problem in realizing what water conserving landscape was: 1) Misconceptions existed about the ornamental qualities of the newer, more appropriate plant materials and landscapes and, 2) most “conventional” plantings were receiving more water than they really needed. The solution: Xeriscape. Why? 1) Because the beauty and acceptability of appropriate plant materials and landscapes are emphasized and, 2) proper water management of the “conventional” plantings becomes the key to water conservation. People who were concerned about the flagrant waste of water in the landscape, knew that education was the key to success. Xeriscape is an educational enterprise!

Apparently, the horticultural industry in California was ready for Xeriscape. At last, a word, a term, that encompassed all that had been said about ‘drought tolerance’ – and more. Not only has Xeriscape been widely accepted, in fact, the concept has become quite popular, for it features an innovative approach to material selection, design, installation, irrigation and maintenance. Indeed, Xeriscape is the most realistic approach to landscaping, when we consider the climate and soils of the southwest, not to mention the rapidly growing population and the dwindling supply of water!

In the early Xeriscape conferences, we learned that more than half of the total urban water use was for the landscape. Officials from California’s water industry warned us of pending shortages and higher prices for water. We knew that as professionals, we had to meet the challenge of designing and providing landscapes that would be more in harmony with the natural environment, thereby, using less water. Several factors, including the growing awareness of the problem, a couple of drought years in the not so distant past, and an expanding “grass roots” movement toward environmental horticulture, set the stage for a major campaign to get the word out.

A Major Campaign

|n the fall of 1982, a group of horticultural professionals met with Jim Van Haun, public information officer at the Municipal Water District of Orange County and formed an ad-hoc committee to plan and produce a conference. Eight months of preparation, and?EUR??,,????'???

With so much material to cover, it became clear that more speakers were needed. In 1984, the Xeriscape Conference took on a slightly different look. The conference was held on March 16 at the Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel in Costa Mesa, California. The Proceedings were distributed at the registration desk. There were more than 250 in attendance. The general session in the morning was filled with an update on the local water situation from Stan Sprague, general manager of MWDOC. The keynote luncheon presentation by Dr. Mildred Mathias, world traveled botanist, was an inspiration to all. At the Xeriscape ‘84 luncheon, Recognition Awards were given to individuals from each of the four basic landscape fields, with a new field added; Research & Development. During the concurrent sessions throughout the day, the basic four landscape categories were addressed, with an attempt to direct the message to three distinct audiences:Homeowner’s Association Properties, Institutional/Commercial Properties, and Individual Residential Properties. By the end of the day, some 15 speakers had shared their expertise on the conservation of water through creative landscaping! Xeriscape was rapidly becoming more than just a “grass roots” movement.

The year 1984 also saw the addition of several new western regions, formally adopting Xeriscape. Following in Denverts and MWDOC’s footsteps that year, were water agencies in San Antonio and Fort Worth, Texas; Aurora, Colorado; and Reno, Nevada, with several others beginning to show an interest. Xeriscape hit the high school and college campuses in Southern California with demonstration gardens and new classes. Most of the trade journals ran articles on Xeriscape, and their readers could finally pronounce it correctly, as the word came into common usage!

Education: The Key

The landscape industry was meeting the challenge of water conservation very well. The message was clear: educate the industry toward proper water management, including creating water-efficient landscape designs; the use of low volume irrigation components and appropriate native and Mediterranean climate-type plants; and creative maintenance techniques. The exchange of information continued in the months following the conference, proving that the horticultural industry at large, was enthusiastic enough to attend both an annual conference, and then actually put the ideas to work in the field.

With the Xeriscape concept taking hold in many regions, and a very effective conference format being established in Southern California, it was evident that the 1985 Conference needed to address landscape professionals from a broader region that just Southern California. Plans were laid for Xeriscape ‘85 to go statewide! Besides the Long Beach/Orange County Chapter of CLCA and MWDOC, a new sponsor was added: The California Department of Water Resources, (DWR).

As plans began for a two day conference, several speakers from many different regions were contacted to present papers during both general and concurrent sessions.

When the doors opened at the Xeriscape ‘85 Conference, held in Costa Mesa on March 21 and 22, there were more than 450 people in attendance. David Kennedy, director of the Department of Water Resources, set the tone with the keynote presentation. The general session was followed by concurrent sessions featuring professionals and educators, experts in the field of Xeriscape. On the first day, recognition awards were presented to individuals from the same five landscape categories as the previous year (Design, Plant Material, Equipment, Maintenance & Installation, and Research & Development), with an additional category added. The newest category was called ‘Urban Land Planning and Use.’

Since the Conference attracted so many people from out of town, an afternoon bus tour was provided to visit research stations and commercial Xeriscapes in the area. A hosted reception was held the first evening. The second day included three concurrent sessions and 12 speakers. Wes Humphrey, then horticultural advisor with U.C. Cooperative Extension in Orange County, gave a most entertaining luncheon presentation, discussing the different “social” factors, which go into landscape water conservation. When Xeriscape ‘85 drew to a close and the evaluations were reviewed, there was no doubt that another successful conference was in the books.

The education effort did not end at the seminar. Extension courses at U.C. Irvine in “Xeriscape,” were established to reach landscape architects and other students in horticultural fields. MWDOC published a full color Xeriscape brochure, including a sample plan and plant list to be used by landscape professionals as well as homeowners. Cities and water agencies formally adopting Xeriscape in 1985 included Wheat Ridge, Fort Collins, and Boulder, Colorado; Corpus Christi, Texas and Flagstaff, Arizona. There were also many additional inquiries to the Denver Water Department for permission to use the official Xeriscape theme in conservation programs.

A Continuing Effort

The future for Xeriscape is exciting. In January, 1986, for the purpose of coordinating the various regional programs, the National Xeriscape Council, Incorporated was founded in Denver, Colorado. Preliminary planning discussions for this new, non-profit, educational council will be held in Irvine, one day prior to the Xeriscape ‘86 Conference.

While large and diverse audiences from different professions have been drawn to Xeriscape Conferences, the information shared has been put to use in one common cause: beautiful gardens that require less water. Concerned professionals have seen and met that chailenge, knowing that the public depends on them to simply design, create, and maintain landscapes that are appropriate to the environment! Their handiwork will be appreciated for many years to come, as these water-thrifty landscapes are recognized as Xeriscape, the landscape of the 80’s.