There’s no need to sacrifice curb appeal to save water. Here are some smart low water landscaping ideas that will make your garden and other outdoor spaces appealing without much water. Let’s take a look at these options.
Ground Cover
Ground cover is essential in exposed areas for retaining moisture and preventing soil erosion. Drought tolerant succulents and some kinds of drought-tolerant herbs and blooms are perfect to cover the ground.
Sea thrift (Armeria maritima) forms helpful mats of ground cover, aided here by stones and gravel.
Covering the ground with pale succulents and simple grasses create a living tapestry in the front yard.
An enchanting low water garden done with succulents of various shades and grasses.
A gorgeous low water garden with various types of grasses, agaves and succulents.
Various types fo succulents covering the ground to prevent erosion and other negative consequences.
A chic idea to cover the ground with succulents and pebbles placing a large vase as if it fell.
Dry Streams
A dry creek bed, also known as a dry stream bed, is a gully or trench, usually lined with stones and edged with plants to mimic a natural riparian area. You may decide to implement dry stream beds for drainage, thus preventing erosion by reducing runoff. Once you’ve finished creating a dry creek bed, plant native shrubs, ornamental grass or flowers along the banks and disguise the “headwaters” with large boulders or plants. Interesting dry creek bed ideas also include logs, stepping stones or wooden bridges. Moss adds a natural element if your dry creek bed is in the shade.
A dry creek bed with dark pebbles and lined up with large rocks and grasses is a cool idea.
A gorgeous dry creek bed with grey and white pebbles and large rocks that line up the creek plus succulents and cacti.
A dry creek bed of colorful pebbles and with smaller pebbles plus some shrubs.
A dry stream covered with grey pebbles and with grasses and greenery around for a catchy look.
A beautiful and low maintenance garden incorporating a river rock dry stream with herbs and blooms around.
A dry river bed with pebbles and larger pieces of rocks and grass and bright blooms lining up.
Fight poor drainage with a cool dry creek surrounded with grasses and greenery of various kinds.
A dry stream idea with large pebbles and rocks plus green grasses around and some blooms.
A river rock dry stream with grasses around is a cool and natural decor feature for a low water garden.
Decomposed Granite
When choosing what to cover your pathways with, think decomposed granite. Soft underfoot, decomposed granite comes in soft, natural colors—shades of gray and tan, mostly—and allows rainwater to percolate. You may also substitute traditional lawns with granite.
Decomposed granite landscaping in a neutral shade with with large rock tiles for hardscaping.
Garden pathways done with decomposed granite and some large tiles in the same neutral shade.
A pathway done with grey decomposed granite looks modern and chic.
A side yard done with neutral decomposed granite and some flower beds.
Plants
Silver- and felty-leafed plants do well in drought. A focal plant—such as a potted succulent, like euphorbia, in front of a high hedge of mature ivy—adds a layer of texture and warmth to a gravel courtyard. A vertical garden of succulents creates a focal point on a fence or facade without requiring more than a few inches of depth. Many types of grasses that aren’t your average green blanket lawn grasses are drought-tolerant and perfect for a low-water garden. Some of the most beautiful and low water ornamental grasses worth adding are: Little Bluestem, fountain grass, Blue Oatgrass, Purple Fountaingrass, Blue Fescue, Pampas Grass. When planting grasses, mix it up: Use both tall and short grasses along with a few of the more colorful grasses thrown in for pop.
Silver foliage is a great idea for a low water garden as it's drought-resistant.
Rock a statement plant like this post cactus in a pot to make your garden bolder and cooler.
Create a succulent vertical garden as an artwork and part of landscaping, it won't take much space.
Grasses of various kinds are perfect for growing them in low water gardens.
Layer pots planted with single plants in various hues and textures to make your garden wow.
Combine several bold plants in one bowl to create an amazing arrangement.