Guest Post on Xeriscaping

The following is from Laura and Mani who suggested that Xeriscaping would be an excellent option for the mounds and landscaping design. They offer the following information:

Xeriscaping Techniques

• Xeriscaping to conserve water and reduce maintenance
• No need to use fertilizers or pesticides
• Use of mulch to improve soil and eliminate need for mowing grass in certain areas (mulch protects plant roots from heat, cold, and drought, improves the soil and controls weeds)
• No plastic liners as these restrict the flow of water into the soil.
• Use drought-tolerant plants

Examples of drought-tolerant plants:
Trees: Russian olive, maple, Pine, smokebush, ginkgo, oak, and linden are very drought tolerant once established
Shrubs: Sandcherry, Lilac, Potentilla, Barberry, Quince, Spirea, Mock orange, Caragana, Juniper, Yew, Pine, Spruce, Fragrant Sumac, Siberian Pea shrub, Rockspray Cotoneaster, Red or Black Chokeberry, Flowering Quince, Northern Bayberry, Butterfly-bush, Spirea
Low growing perennials: Artemesia, Spurge, Heuchera (Coral bells), Creeping phlox, Lamb's ears, Dianthus, Bergenia and Lady's Mantle.
Tall perennials: Aster, Bee balm, Baptisia, Coneflower, Yarrow, Verbascum, Russian sage and Helianthus.

More info on xeriscaping:
http://www.landscapeontario.com/c?c=1123
and from City of Toronto:
http://www.toronto.ca/compost/xeriscap.htm