Xeriscaping Guide

After last summer's record heat left Bob and Lana Beyer's Avery Ranch lawn dead and dry, they decided it was time to xeriscape, a landscaping method that involves native plants and those that require less water and have a high heat tolerance.

John Koster, a horticulturist at Red Barn Garden Center on Pond Springs Road near US 183, said every year more and more customers ask about xeriscaping.

The Beyers designed their new lawn themselves, determined how much sun and shade certain spots of the yard would get and then ripped out their water-gulping St. Augustine grass. They purchased new sod, mulch and plants such as silverado Texas sage and Mexican feathergrass, adding natural elements—stones, petrified wood, a large shell and an animal skull—as focal points.

"We transformed our lawn into a drought-loving oasis," Bob said.

Koster said most of the plants used in xeriscaping are deer-resistant—a boon for Northwest Austin residents—although the deer could eat any plant if they are hungry enough.

Lana said it took a while to learn everything the couple needed to convert their lawn but that the City of Austin's "Grow Green" guide, which provides information on native landscaping plants and is available for free at many garden centers or nurseries in Austin, helped them choose the right flora.