By Sarah Hollenbeck
Ever hear of Xeriscaping?
As a woman, the moment I started developing a love for the great outdoors was when I realized that my female intuition was deeply rooted in my connection to nature. That sense of freedom, of renewal with my sense of self, and an ever-present state of inner-knowing, can all be experienced through simply getting in touch with the outside world. Unfortunately in today’s day and age, that’s easier said than done.
As we become more aware of ourselves, take on more roles and responsibilities, things start to pile up. Before you know it, your day is over. Whether you need to take care of the kids, make sure the house is clean, or work a full-time job, there’s a lot of moving parts that need to be managed at any given moment. Juggling everything can make it extremely difficult to find the time to shut off from the world and go camping.
If you can relate to any of this, you are among one of the millions of women who struggle between finding time to be home and to be replenishing their own energy source. Luckily, this article comes as a homemade fire starter of sorts. That’s right, I’m here to tell you about a new way of looking at your homelife. Why not integrate it with an environmentally conscious lifestyle, starting with a gardening method known as xeriscaping?
What if you could recreate a completely natural habitat in your own backyard, and use this space for some home camping dates with mother nature? This puts a new spin on a classic idea, incorporating xeriscaping as a way of coming back to our roots, pun intended.
Why does spending time outside matter regardless of location?
If you fall under the category of people who stare at a screen for most of the day or spend a lot of time sitting down or indoors, then this is for you. Think about it. Even your primary doctor recommends spending a few minutes a day walking barefoot on grass to help deal with feelings of anxiety and depression, so imagine what spending a whole night under the stars can do for you.
There’s no need of getting into the nitty-gritty bullet points and percentages of why spending time outside is so good for you. All that really matters is that there is an overwhelming amount of evidence to indicate that the benefits this can do for you and those around you, play a tremendous role in your mental health and overall wellbeing.
The truth is, we don’t need to travel miles and miles to spend time out in nature. All this does is it sets obstacles to our own ability to reach a target, while reinforcing limiting beliefs about what we can do as women.
Camping alone as a woman, for example, is commonly stated as a big no-no. Well, if there’s anything you can take away from reading this article, it’s that you do not have to take so much time off to plan and travel out of town to enjoy time in nature.
This is where xeriscaping comes into play. Maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe it’s completely new to you. Xeriscaping is a sustainable gardening method that incorporates low-water plants that grow naturally in your region combined with rocks to create a low-maintenance space.
Benefits of Xeriscaping
If you’re not sold yet, keep reading to see why this is the missing piece to your ultimate backyard camping experience. First off, before we go any further, who here has struggled with minimalist packing for a camping trip? As women, we are conditioned from a very young age to be overly prepared, overly concerned, and overly anxious about everything that we may ever need to have handy for any given situation. That’s a lot to ask. Xeriscaping is one way to throw all of that capitalistic consumerism out the window.
Apart from not having to worry about expensive maintenance bills or investing hours into watering and trimming your garden each month, there’s a lot of positives that come with owning a xeriscaped lawn. Read below for some of the benefits.
- Starting a xeriscaping project is a way to get your family involved in a fun outdoorsy project together, which is a good process to help them learn to develop patience while taking care of their mental health.
- Studies show that both children and adults who spend time outside the house and off a screen have a much easier time being able to concentrate and tap into their own creativity.
- Designing a landscape that exists in function of your natural environment is not only better for the planet, but it can also save you anywhere from 10% to 30% on energy bills.
- Long-term benefits of xeriscaping include raising your home’s property value by an estimated 5% to 13%.
- Xeriscaping your lawn is an effective way to help increase your home’s safety against wildfires.
- Investing in xeriscaping your lawn as a home upgrade is linked to higher levels of comfort, wellbeing, and a better relationship with your space.
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So at the end of the day, you don’t need to drive hours away to enjoy the natural beauty of the outdoors. With the power of xeriscaping, you can create an outdoor oasis in your backyard. Your home truly can be a place where you commune with yourself, refresh your senses, and enjoy all of the other wonders that being in nature can bring you. You owe it to yourself to have a place where you can get away without having to worry about packing, traveling, and shirking your responsibilities. Replenish yourself and take a step into the magic right outside your door.
Sarah Hollenbeck
Sarah Hollenbeck is a writer, hiker, and homeowner from Austin, Texas. When she isn't out exploring the trails with her dog Otis, you can often find her at home working on home improvement projects in her front and back yards.
These alternatives are really fantastic. Thanks for Sharing the outstanding post
It was so good to read about Xeriscaping and that it helps with mental health. I will have to try it
I have never heard of this before but I love the sound of it! Going to try it once the weather gets warmer
I knew all of the features of xeriscaping, but I hadn’t heard the term before. What a great idea to start a xeriscaping project in your backyard and camp out there!
Something new for me which is very intriguing to know. Wow. Mental health continues to be dug huh
Great post and a very interesting article. I actually have not heard of Xeriscaping but I love the benefits that it provides especially in this time when the world seems so chaotic. Having your own oasis sounds magical!
Wonderful to read about Xeriscaping and that it helps with mental health. The pandemic has made us get out in the garden more and working on landscaping as well. Thanks for sharing the informative details about it.
Xeriscaping is also a great water retention method as foliage are native to the area and can grow in their natural habitat unlike transplanted foliage that might require extra nutrients, space, and water.
That sounds like a great idea especially if you have a backyard. It is also very beneficial when you only start learning how to or teach inexperienced companions
Interesting conversation. I live in an area where there is so much natural landscaping.
Great tips. Any type of camping is a good idea, no matter where you decide to make it happen.
This term is kinda new to me, but I have learned something new from this article. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks. I realize that this is what we have been wanting to do with our backyard and frontyard as well but did not know there was a term for that. Thank you for the breakdown and the tips for this process
This is the first time I heard about Xeriscaping. I love that it has a lot of benefits not just for our physical health but also for mental health. I will mention it to my fellow outdoor-loving friends.
I’ ve never heard of this term, but I must say that gardening is relaxing! We redid all of our rain garden and rocks towards the beginning of the pandemic.
I have never heard of Xeriscaping. This is my time and turn for looking into this further. Thank you for the information about it.
There is so much to enjoy out doors. Its a refreshing and calming activity. Thank you for sharing!
Wow this is so interesting! Thanks for bringing the whole new concept about Xeriscaping, it’s the first time I know about it.
I like to spend time outside. We are fortunate to live somewhere where it is warm year round and I count my blessings for that because it makes it easier to be outside all year long.
Aw this is so fun! We did this in the spring. A little too cold right now!
It’s my first time hearing the word Xeriscaping but now I understand the concept. I live in a drought-prone region so this is perfect
Xeriscaping is something Ive been interested in doing. It’s a great alternative if you are not an outdoor person. I love that it helps us to have a better mental health
First time I’ve heard of xeriscaping and I would totally live to work on the backyard if we had one. Totally need to have someplace outdoors to unwind!
I have never done this with my family before and it sounds really helpful for all of us.
Through this, you will be able to build a strong relationship with your loved ones, aside from that all of you will develop new skills.
This is the first time I’ve heard the term xeriscaping. How interesting! I can’t wait to learn more.
Xeriscaping is a long and extremely rewarding process! I love working on my landscape, usually spending an hour most evenings out there gardening from spring-fall. And I love watching it grow year by year as I put more time and energy into it. I do love camping, and getting out to hike and experience nature elsewhere, but there is nothing more rewarding than the native plants that I have helped cultivate in my own space.