Austin Gardeners’ Carlos Gomez discusses xeriscaping benefits for Texans

What makes xeriscaping different from other landscape options is the consciousness that goes behind the drought that we're going through right now, and making it [a] more sustainable landscape, more water efficient and then preserving native plants. ... So, there's a lot of factors that make it a better option. ... I think it has become more popular not only in the Austin area, but Leander, Liberty Hill, the surrounding areas, and mainly with the goal to be more “water-wise.”

What are some of your favorite native Texas plants to use for xeriscaping?

Agave is going to be a [desert] plant that is going to be able to withstand almost any type of weather. A lot of the ornamental grasses are going to be perennials, which means in the winter, they kind of die back, you cut them back, and they come back in the spring. When you pair them together, they have a really good contrast between the colors and the different textures.

Explain the maintenance required for xeriscaping.

Obviously, you don’t have to be mowing as much. So the main thing that is going to be crucial for keeping the xeriscape pristine is as soon as you see a weed, remove it. ... A lot of clients think that after we install the materials, they don't have to do anything at all. There's no such thing.

What percentage of your customers end up choosing a xeriscape landscape?

Around 60[%]-65% of our clients incorporate the xeriscape. ... We use a lot of the more modern style[s] for landscape but incorporate some of the xeriscape into that design, which means you have some concrete pad areas surrounded by gravel, and then you have native plants or plants that are going to be drought-tolerant.

Xeriscaping often leads to lower utility bills. Is its installation more expensive than other landscaping models?

The price between installing, let's say, grass and a xeriscape is going to be fairly similar. What's going to define the cost is going to be the number of plants we use [and] the types of materials. ... You have gravels that are going to be $50 per yard, and you have gravels that are gonna be $500 per yard. So that definitely makes a huge difference.

Every customer has different preferences for their yard, but is there a price range that xeriscape landscapes usually fall under?

We have done, let's say, a 10x20 yard, and that could range anywhere from $5[,000]-$10,000. We have done yards that are larger—I want to say maybe 10,000 square feet—and that could range anywhere from $25[,000]-$40,000. ... It’s just going to depend a lot on the amount of plants [and] the materials that we use.

Do you have any tips for people who are considering a xeriscape landscape?

Plan ahead—what would you like to see in the xeriscape as far as plants? How can you create contrast between the xeriscape? ... When you start installing different gravels to bring in contrast, it's going to make it more appealing and probably get you to the point where you're like, ‘Oh, xeriscaping is not so bad.’