Xeriscaping 101 with Verde River Growers’ Lindsey Curé

Roses are red, violets are blue, Arizona is dry, what’s a gardener to do?

Learning about xeriscaping is a good place to start. It’s a type of gardening that comes from the heart — of the Southwest that is.

Xeriscaping is derived from the Greek word “xeros,” meaning dry, and the English word “landscape.” The concept was developed in the 1980s in Denver in response to severe drought conditions. Not content to watch plants wither and die among prolonged water rationing and irrigation bans, gardeners began developing new techniques to reduce water usage by 50% or more by focusing on replanting traditional gardens with drought-tolerant and water-conserving plants.

The multi-pronged approach involves appropriate plant selection, soil conditioning, using mulch and compost, efficient irrigation and more recently, the occasional use of artificial shade.

“The xeriscape concept has been adopted in many areas of the country experiencing drought or long-term dry conditions and actual xeriscape practices have evolved differently in various places,” stated Dr. Douglas F. Welsh, president of the National Zeriscape Council in a North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality document.

Nowadays, especially in the Southwest, landscaping with desert plants has become as easy as a trip to a local nursery.

In the Verde Valley, there are a handful of nurseries that specialize in xeriscaping, though the most centrally located is the sprawling 15-acre Verde River Growers, where a team of specialists grow plants from seeds and cuttings, nurturing them for years before they are available for purchase — a rehoming of sorts.

Located at 300 S. Rocking Chair Ranch Road in Cottonwood, the nursery is slightly off the beaten path and not visible to the casual passerby. Many first-time visitors have lived in the area for years before they discover it, according to General Manager Lindsey Curé.

“Most people find us by word of mouth,” she said.

Plants Deserve Good Homes

The “one does not simply” meme comes to mind when talking about plant sales with Curé, whose long braids and coveralls give Earth-mother vibes. Curé has a degree in horticulture from the University of Arizona in Tucson and 10 years at Verde River Growers.

“A lot goes into it,” Curé said of the adoption-like process of guiding customers to make informed decisions. “We try to educate people before they buy.”

“I’d rather they don’t buy anything if they’re not ready,” she added.

Curé provided an example: “If a customer wants to purchase a tree and they don’t have an irrigation system, I will suggest they wait until they have that installed,” she explained, as newly planted trees require consistent watering until their roots are able to draw water deeper.

Education is one of the main focuses of Verde River Growers, as it offers a plant database app, classes and diagnostic services. One could hardly blame Verde River Growers for their passion for plants and their continued survival, especially in an area where water conservation is paramount.

Curé emphasized that despite the dry climate, her customers learn that “it’s not all cacti and succulents.”

“People seem to understand they can have a lush garden, even if it is drought-tolerant,” she said.

Supporting Ecosystems

Many species of plants that are used in xeriscaping are native, making them well-adapted — which is good news for ecosystems.

While perusing the selection at Verde River Growers, customers will encounter native species such as the vanilla spice-scented cliffrose shrub, silvery rabbitbrush and several varieties of flowering cactus commonly seen along local trails.

Although it is illegal to harvest plants like cliffrose from public lands, some landowners have begun carefully propagating native plants from seeds and cuttings, making them available for purchase. Verde River Growers has also cultivated numerous species from its own property — most notably the velvet mesquite trees that greet visitors in the parking lot.

There are also native-adapted varieties such as the deodar cedar and hybrid Argentine giant, as well as numerous grasses and groundcover plants that help feed pollinators and provide faunal habitat.

As if to prove a point, a mother hummingbird recently selected a small tree from one of Verde River Growers’s shaded walkways as a nesting site, where the babies have a couple of weeks left before becoming fledglings, according to Curé’s observations.

“I feel like every year we have a couple [of nests] right here,” she said.

Mitigating Megadrought

Arizona is experiencing a “megadrought” and has been since the mid to late 1990s. Recent science says that conditions are not likely to change any time soon, as climate change causes temperatures to rise and make the annual monsoon less predictable.

Visibly drastic changes in water levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead have sounded the alarm throughout the region. However, in the Verde Valley the changes might not be as obvious, with the Verde River and Oak Creek appearing relatively normal to the multitudes of outdoor recreationists to their waters.

However, what is happening underneath the surface is a different story — one of dried-up wells and limited groundwater supplies.

According to the Prescott-based Citizens Water Advocacy Group, “our water supply is threatened and scientific evidence demands concern.”

CWAG, who has been monitoring the region’s groundwater levels, base flows and pumping activity since the early 2000s, says that population growth in combination with “excessive” municipal groundwater pumping are depleting groundwater supplies at “an alarming rate.”

If current trends continue, “more rural areas will become unlivable, municipalities will face enormous costs to replace used-up groundwater, and the environmental and economic costs of the loss of the base flow of the Verde River will be immeasurable,” according to CWAG.

Xeriscaping vs. Zeroscaping

Some might believe that the oft-misquoted xeriscaping relative, “zeroscaping” — i.e., very few or no plants — might be a better alternative for landscaping. After all, there’s little to no water being used.

Curé cautions against this approach, as it requires an excess of gravel and other hardscapes, while still needing weed control, and can cause surface temperatures to be 20 degrees hotter.

A Little Research

All of that being said, what does a prospective xeriscaping enthusiast need to know before getting started?

In addition to reducing water usage, xeriscaping can be a more affordable option in the long run.

According to the city of Avondale, 50% to 66% of household water consumption is used in landscaping. That city encouraged residents to keep in mind that household energy use can be reduced by up to 60% by careful selection and placement of plants.

With energy bills skyrocketing across the Southwest in recent years, that amount adds up quickly.

Beyond saving money, the most crucial aspect of xeriscaping is understanding what one can plant and where — because it is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

“Knowing your microclimate is another thing we’ll ask people when they’re going to adopt their plant,” Curé said, while describing how temperature fluctuations can vary drastically by location and time of day, especially near water, where cold air can “run like an invisible river.”

Curé warned that if a Verde Valley resident wanted a maple tree, it would not likely survive summer heat waves. There are exceptions to every rule, such as a curiously healthy cottonwood tree that Curé said is growing in downtown Cottonwood away from the Verde River; however, every species of plant has different growing needs that must be understood to have a successful garden.

With xeriscaping there’s a lot of information to take in, but consulting with experts like Curé is a good place to start.

There are plenty of resources online, including Verde River Growers’s website. Though it won’t resolve our larger long-term drought issues, perhaps if more gardeners switch to xeriscaping, the future of the Verde Valley will be a bit greener.

After all, some of the best stories begin in a garden.