The framework
Denver Water organized xeriscape into seven principles. Treat them as your project checklist — they map cleanly onto how you scope, bid, and build a job. Skip one and the whole system underperforms.
1. Planning and design
Everything else depends on this. Before a plant is bought, you should have a site plan that zones the yard by use (entry, play, patio, screening) and by water need (this is called hydrozoning — grouping plants of similar water needs together so irrigation can serve each zone efficiently). Map sun and shade, slope and drainage, soil, and existing features. Design the irrigation zones and the plant palette together, not separately. A xeriscape is won or lost on paper. Sell design as its own line item; it is where your expertise shows.
