Faced with drought, heat and water restrictions in the recent past, new Calgary home buyer Bhavini Gohel says she has chose xeriscaping, the art of using drought-resistant plants and products to landscape her new yard.
“Increased water demand. We have to be mindful. We are going to need essential water supply, and we really are going to have to restrict where we are using our water. So, I think this is really the way forward.”
Conrad Thibeault, the director of landscaping for Spruce It Up Garden Centre, says it’s a growth industry.
Get daily Calgary news
“I’ve been pushing for it for about eight years now and it’s finally starting to catch on. I would say over 50 per cent of the landscaping we do now (is) drought-tolerant xeriscape.”
He says the price is higher, but only in the short term.
“It is a little bit more up front than a traditional sodded yard. But the amount of money you are going to save in the end — water management or maintenance — is going to be astronomical in the end.”
Gohel says she and two other neighbours in Mahogny have decided to buy into the concept. She says she can’t wait to see the end result.
“This is the first yard that we have xeriscaped. Luckily, our neighbors have also agreed as well. So, it’s been great. I am excited to see the results.”