Xeriscaping Isn't About Using Less Water. It's About Building a Better Yard.

Drive through almost any neighborhood in Utah, Idaho, or eastern Washington in the middle of July and you'll see the same story playing out.

One lawn is deep green because the sprinklers seem to run every morning. The yard next door has patches of brown where the heat won another battle. Someone is dragging a hose across the driveway and they all are wondering why their water bill keeps climbing while their yard looks worse every week.

It's frustrating because the dream wasn't to spend every summer chasing green grass. The dream was to have a yard you actually enjoyed.

That's why more homeowners are discovering xeriscaping.

The word “xeriscape” gets a bad reputation. People hear it and picture nothing but gravel and cactus. The reality couldn't be more different. A well-designed xeriscape is full of texture, color, movement, flowering plants, natural stone, gathering spaces, and water features that invite people outside. It simply uses water where it matters instead of asking every square foot of your property to behave like a golf course.

At American Stone, we believe every great landscape starts the same way every successful project does: Build It Right™.

That means slowing down long enough to plan before you ever order a yard of decorative rock. The best xeriscape projects begin by asking how you want to live in your yard.

Do you picture family dinners on a patio? Kids running through the side yard? A quiet place to enjoy your morning coffee? A winding pathway through the garden? A fire feature where friends gather after the sun goes down?

Those answers determine everything that follows. Once you understand how the space should function, the materials almost begin choosing themselves.

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is thinking decorative rock is the project. It isn't. Decorative ground cover is the finishing touch that ties everything together, but underneath every beautiful landscape is good planning, proper drainage, stable base materials, thoughtful edging, and a layout designed around how water naturally moves across your property.

Water always wins. Rather than fighting it, Build It Right™ works with it.

Before installing decorative stone, think about where rainwater goes today. Does it collect near the foundation? Does it wash mulch into sidewalks? Does one corner stay wet while another dries out almost immediately? A little attention to grading and drainage before the rock goes down saves years of maintenance later. 

The same goes for weed control. Many people assume weed barrier is the entire answer. It certainly helps, but no landscape fabric can compensate for poor preparation. Existing weeds should be removed properly before installation, edges should be secured, and enough decorative stone should be installed to help protect the fabric while creating a finished appearance. Taking the extra time during installation pays dividends every season afterward.

Choosing decorative rock is one of the most enjoyable parts of the project, but it's also where many homeowners become overwhelmed. There isn't one perfect ground cover. There is only the one that's right for your landscape.

Large decorative cobbles create a bold, natural look around dry creek beds and drainage areas. Smaller decorative aggregates provide clean, modern lines around planting beds and pathways. Black lava rock creates dramatic contrast against green plantings. Quartzite reflects light differently throughout the day, adding warmth and color. Rounded beach pebbles soften the landscape around water features, while crushed decorative stone often complements contemporary architecture.

The best landscapes usually combine several materials rather than relying on just one.

The same philosophy applies to edging. Without defined edges, even beautiful landscapes begin to feel unfinished as materials slowly migrate into one another. Good edging creates visual order. It gives every material its place.

Sometimes that's natural stone that blends seamlessly into the landscape. Sometimes it's steel edging that nearly disappears while maintaining crisp, modern lines. Brick, concrete, and manufactured edging all have their place depending on the character of the home and the style of the project. We keep trying to push this point, there isn't a universal right answer, but there's a right answer for your yard.

Plants deserve the same thoughtful approach. The most successful xeriscapes aren't empty landscapes. They're living landscapes designed around plants that naturally thrive in your climate.

Utah homeowners can benefit from programs like Utah Water Savers and local Water Wise rebate programs. Idaho homeowners often find tremendous success with drought-tolerant perennials and native grasses suited to the Intermountain West. Throughout Washington, especially east of the Cascades, homeowners can create beautiful low-water landscapes by selecting plants adapted to warmer, drier summers.

We always encourage customers to work with local conservation districts, extension offices, and water agencies when selecting native and water-wise plants. Those organizations understand local soil conditions, elevation, and climate better than anyone, and they can help create landscapes that naturally succeed instead of constantly requiring intervention.

Then there's one of our favorite additions to any xeriscape project: moving water. It sounds backwards at first. How does a water feature belong in a water-wise landscape?

Modern recirculating pondless waterfalls, fountains, and decorative water features continuously reuse the same water rather than consuming new water throughout the day. Companies like Aquascape have transformed what's possible, allowing homeowners to enjoy the sound and movement of water while remaining remarkably efficient.

There's something about hearing water that changes an outdoor space. The birds find it. People naturally gather around it. The landscape feels alive. Combined with natural stone, thoughtful planting, and comfortable gathering spaces, it becomes more than a yard. It becomes somewhere you want to spend time, and that’s what we are here to help you create. 

One question we hear often is how much water xeriscaping actually saves.

Every property is different because irrigation systems, soil conditions, weather, and plant selections all vary. However, research from western water districts consistently shows that converting traditional turf to well-designed water-wise landscapes can reduce outdoor water use by 50–75%. Considering that outdoor irrigation often accounts for the majority of residential water use during the summer, the savings can be substantial over the life of the landscape.

Perhaps even more valuable than the water savings is the time you get back.

Less mowing, fertilizing, watering & sprinkler maintenance, and less worrying every time temperatures climb above ninety-five degrees.

This is what the homeowners who come in our yards are really after. We like to say it this way, Xeriscape is not less lawn, but more weekends.

At American Stone, we don't believe xeriscaping starts with choosing decorative rock. It starts with understanding how you want to use your outdoor space, then helping you select the right materials, the right products, and the right plan to bring it to life.

Whether you're replacing a park strip, refreshing a planting bed, installing a patio, adding decorative ground cover, building a dry creek, creating an outdoor living space, or designing an entirely new landscape, our team is here to help you Build It Right™.

Because when the planning is right, the materials are right, and the installation is right, your landscape becomes something you'll enjoy every season, not just something you'll spend every weekend maintaining.