XERISCAPING
The art of creating a landscape with the goal to reduce water usage is called xeriscaping. Plants requiring little or no watering, or those that can survive droughts, are chosen.Cultural practices such as soil preparation and mulching are also used extensively in xeriscaping.
Xeriscaping DOES NOT mean using no water in the landscape. It implies the managed use of water; in other words, the effort to reduce the amount of water that homeowners need to supply in additional to typical rainfalls.
Many plants tolerant of drought conditions are also tolerant of flood conditions. Included in this list are box elder and pecans. However, many drought tolerant trees and shrubs may not be practical for home yards. Careful study and reading of xeriscaping books is essential.
Gardening
Books