Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Water
efficiency
in
the
landscape
is
becoming
an
increasingly
pressing
issue
in
the
United
States,
as
water
shortages
become
more
and
more
common.
While
awareness
of
water
issues
have
increased
over
the
last
decades,
landscape
irrigation
still
constitutes
a
large
percentage
of
household
water
consumption
in
the
United
States,
and
therefore
reducing
water
use
in
the
landscape
is
a
vital
step
for
conservation.
North
Carolina
receives
between
40”
–
55”
(1000mm-­‐1400mm)
of
rain
a
year
and
has
always
been
considered
a
water-­‐rich
state,
however
even
with
its
abundant
yearly
rainfall,
recent
years
have
lead
to
water
shortages.
Water-­‐efficient
gardening
is
the
practice
of
landscaping
with
water
conservation
in
mind.
It
includes
xeriscaping
and
the
idea
of
grouping
plant
material
based
on
their
water
requirements,
using
plants
that
are
well
suited
to
the
site
conditions
and
require
no
supplemental
irrigation,
and
increasing
a
soil’s
absorption
rate
and
water
retention.
This
paper
explores
the
principles
of
xeriscaping
and
suggests
suitable
water-­‐wise
plants
for
residential
landscapes
in
the
piedmont
region
of
North
Carolina.