To xeriscape your yard, work in this order: set goals and apply for rebates, map the site, confirm your hardiness zone, design in hydrozones, remove the turf you don't need, prepare the soil, choose plants, install drip, mulch, and water to establish. Xeriscaping rests on seven classic principles, but doing it works best as a sequence, because each step sets up the next. Skip ahead (plant before the irrigation plan, or kill the lawn before the rebate is approved) and you pay for it later. Each step below links to the deep-dive guide for that stage.
Step 1: Set your goals, budget and rebates
Decide what you want most: lower water bills, less mowing, more color, pollinator habitat, or all of it. That decides how much lawn stays and how much you spend on plants versus hardscape.
- Budget: professional installs commonly run $5–$20 per square foot and DIY $1–$6. See what xeriscaping costs and the per-square-foot breakdown.
- Rebates: many western utilities pay you to remove turf, but most require pre-approval with photos of the living lawn. Check the lawn-removal rebate guide, or the state detail for Colorado and California, before you touch anything.
- HOA: if you have one, get design approval in writing (HOA approval guide).
A well-done conversion is also a selling point in dry markets; we look at the evidence in does xeriscaping increase home value.
Step 2: Map your site
Denver Water recommends starting with a scaled "base plan", commonly 1 inch = 8 or 10 feet, with a north arrow. Mark:
- Sun and shade through the day, and hot spots like south- and west-facing walls
- Slopes, and where water pools or runs off (xeriscaping a slope, dry creek beds)
- Spigots, downspouts, outlets, existing sprinkler valves, trees (including the neighbor's shade), fences and walls
- How you actually use each area: dog run, entry walk, kids' play, the hell strip
You're looking for microclimates. A reflective south wall and a shady north corner need different plants even in the same yard. For layout ideas, browse backyard xeriscape ideas.
Step 3: Confirm your hardiness zone
Before choosing a single plant, look up your zone on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. It tells you which plants survive your average coldest winter night. Our hardiness zone guide explains how to read it. Regional guides go further: Denver, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Boise and St. George.
Step 4: Design in hydrozones
Group plants by water need. This one decision makes efficient watering possible. Put thirstier plants together near the house or a downspout, and the toughest ones in the driest, farthest areas. Then each irrigation zone serves plants that want the same schedule, and nothing gets drowned to keep a neighbor alive. Denver Water's guidance is to zone turf separately from other plantings. The 7 principles of xeriscaping explain the reasoning.
A simple three-zone plan works for most yards (watering intervals follow Colorado Springs Utilities' plant water ratings for established plants):
| Zone | Where | Typical plants | Water once established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | Near the house, entry, patio | Perennial borders, any lawn you keep | Regular, on its own drip or spray zone |
| Low | Main beds | Most xeric perennials, grasses, shrubs | About once a week in summer heat |
| Very low | Edges, slopes, hell strip | Natives, cactus, yucca | Twice a month or less |
Step 5: Remove the turf you don't need
Keep lawn only where it earns its place: a play area, a dog run, a green foreground. Replace the rest. The three standard methods (sheet mulching, sod cutting and solarization) differ in cost, labor and time; how to remove a lawn compares them, and the sheet mulching guide covers the no-dig route. Call 811 before you dig.
If you want green underfoot on less water, consider a native lawn of buffalograss or blue grama (native lawn guide) or another of the lawn alternatives.
Step 6: Prepare the soil for the plants you chose
Match the amendment to the plant palette. For conventional beds, CSU Extension recommends a one-time application of 2–3 inches of plant-based compost, or just 1 inch of manure-based compost because of salts, worked into the top 6–8 inches. Three cubic yards covers 1,000 square feet about an inch deep. Many western natives do better in lean soil, and Denver Water notes that with native plants you may only need to loosen the soil. Xeriscape soil prep walks through testing texture and deciding how much, if anything, to add.
Step 7: Choose the right plants
Pick native and climate-adapted species rated for your zone and each hydrozone. Aim for a mix of heights, textures and bloom times so something is happening from April to October, plus evergreen or strong-stemmed plants for winter structure. A reliable Front Range starter palette:
- Perennials: penstemon, blanket flower, catmint, Russian sage
- Grasses: little bluestem, blue oat grass
- Shrubs: fernbush, rabbitbrush, Apache plume
- Groundcovers and succulents: hardy ice plant, soft-leaf yucca
The drought-tolerant perennials, shrubs, ornamental grasses and low-water trees guides go deeper. Buy smaller container plants: they establish faster and cost less. Spring and early fall are the best planting windows (fall planting guide).
Step 8: Install efficient irrigation
Run drip to each plant's root zone: a backflow preventer, filter and pressure regulator at the source, then ½-inch mainline and emitters. CSU Extension notes household pressure runs 50–60 psi while drip is designed for about 20–30 psi, so the regulator isn't optional. Skip soaker hoses; CSU notes their output varies along the length. Step-by-step instructions are in how to install drip irrigation, or convert your existing sprinklers.
Put the system on a controller that adjusts to the weather. EPA says a WaterSense labeled controller can save an average home up to 15,000 gallons a year compared with a clock timer.
Step 9: Mulch everything
Cover all exposed soil. CSU recommends most mulches, including wood chips and pea gravel, at 3 to 4 inches deep; deeper isn't better. Use wood or bark in planted beds that need moisture, and gravel around cactus, yucca and other plants that want dry crowns. Keep mulch a few inches off stems, and skip woven landscape fabric; CSU says weeds root through it and it clogs over time. Gravel vs wood mulch compares the options, and the gravel calculator tells you how much to order.
Step 10: Water to establish, then wean
New plantings need regular deep watering through their first growing season while roots grow out into native soil. After that, stretch the interval steadily. Deep, infrequent watering trains roots downward and builds the drought tolerance that makes a xeriscape nearly self-sufficient by year two or three. The details are in first-year xeriscape care and watering new xeriscape plants. Watch for the classic mistake, which is overwatering, not drought.
After that, maintenance is light: a spring cutback, some weeding, and a mulch top-up every few years. The maintenance calendar lays out the year.
From our installs: on the Front Range the steps that get skipped are 2 and 4. People buy plants they love at the nursery, then try to make the yard fit them. The result is a sun-loving penstemon in afternoon shade next to a thirsty shrub on the same drip line. We also see a lot of heavy compost worked into clay for plants that wanted lean soil, which leads to floppy, short-lived perennials. Spend the extra evening on the base plan and the hydrozones; it's the cheapest step and it saves the most money.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first step in xeriscaping?
Planning. Set your goals and budget, check for turf-replacement rebates (most need pre-approval before you remove any grass), and draw a base plan showing sun, slopes, drainage and how you use each area. Plant choice comes after that.
How long does it take to xeriscape a yard?
A small DIY bed can go from lawn to planted in a few weekends with sod cutting. Sheet mulching adds a season of waiting. Most yards look finished in the first year and fill in over the second and third, which is also when watering drops off.
Can I xeriscape my yard in stages?
Yes, and it's often the smart way to do it. Convert the front yard or the hardest-to-water areas first, then move on as budget allows. Plan the whole yard on paper first so irrigation zones and paths line up later.
Should I install irrigation before or after planting?
Lay out the zones and mainline before planting so you know where water is available, then set plants and add emitters to each one, then mulch last. That order puts emitters exactly at each root ball and keeps you from digging through finished mulch.
Do I need a professional to xeriscape?
No. Every step here is DIY-friendly, though sod cutting and large drip systems are physical work. If you'd rather hire it out, the pro directory lists low-water landscapers by metro.
