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...HY-HY PROPERTYPLUS 3 THE HINDU SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012 HYDERABAD T ry imagining a garden with large expanse of lawns, planted with wide variety of garden plants like palms, bamboos; flower- ing species such as roses, hel- iconias, dahlias; water lilies in a pool; orchids, and climbers hanging from tree branches, and forming arches over trel- lises. One may have space, time, opportunity, and every other form of wherewithal for fulfilling such a dream gar- den, yet if water is a limiting factor, such dream will never come true. In urban areas where water is scarce and bought at huge cost, nurturing such a garden is a dream only a few can ac- complish. Xeriscaping, where one can have a garden, but with limited use of water and minimal maintenance, can be the answer for such predicament. Xeriscaping is a method of garden design that involves choosing of plants that can be maintained with little supple- mental watering. With a little common sense and aesthet- ics, landscape can be orga- nised in harmony with the site by using drought tolerant plant species and mulch ma- terial in a way to minimise the water use. The concept of xe- riscape may be applied to landscapes of any style. How to design? Water use in the garden can be minimised if a little care is observed during the planning phase. The entire garden can be divided into zones with differential water requirements. The ‘oasis’ zone with relatively higher water use is usually ear- marked in more visible places such as patios, entry areas, and beside the paths. Shaded areas alongside the walls are ideal for this zone as the wa- ter loss is less here. The terrain shall be formed in such a way that the rain water from the rooftop or ex- cess water in the garden will drain into this zone to cater to the needs of the plants. This zone requires more mainte- nance and is the garden’s most attractive area where flowering shrubs and colour- ful foliage plants are planted in groups. Beyond the ‘oasis’ is a tran- sition zone of moderate water use. This zone contains plants that require less frequent irri- gation and usually less maintenance. Further away shall be low- water-use zone, which re- quires no supplemental water or very infrequent irrigation during dry periods. This zone is generally positioned away from the access of visitors. The stress-tolerant plants are grown in this zone and also mulch is used to reduce the water use. Mulch Mulch is the cover material provided over the soil and around the plants to reduce evaporation, soil temper- ature and erosion. It also lim- its weed growth thereby reducing competition for wa- ter and nutrients. Impermeable plastic mulch may be used in areas where the soil must be kept dry, for example, where the harvested water is being channelized from one area to another. Permeable weed barriers, bark, gravel, wood waste or other porous mulches are better because they allow wa- ter and air to pass to plant roots. Organic mulches keep the soil moist and reflect less heat. Using broken stones / peb- bles arranged in decorative patterns is a good idea but they become very hot during summer and may limit growth of some plants. Hence the plants which can tolerate high temperatures like cacti and succulent varie- ties should be chosen when such materials are used as mulch. Irrigation Irrigation is necessary in a xeric landscape, at least dur- ing the first few years while the plants get established, and during summer months thereon. The irrigation system - whether automatic or manual - is an integral part of land- scape planning. Irrigation channels for the all the three zones should be separate from each other, and man- aged independently with sep- arate valves. Efficiency of the irrigation system too plays a vital role in conserving water. Sprinklers are appropriate for lawn and ground covers, whereas drip irrigation is more appropriate for shrubs and trees. Soil preparation If soil testing is done prior to planting, it can help deter- mine which plants are best adaptable to the site and which amendments are ap- propriate for improving soil for the selected plants. Adding compost and small quantities of clay increases the water-holding capacity of the soil. Loosening the soil al- lows better infiltration of wa- ter and air and hence improves root development. Plant selection There are many attractive plants available for use in wa- ter-wise landscapes. Simply using certain cacti or a few hardy plant varieties may not be real xeriscaping. Beauty of any garden lies in diversity of leaf shades and flowering hues, and xeriscape is not an exception. Most lawn grasses are on the list of thirsty plants, and should be avoided by selec- ting local grasses like dhoob or buffalo grass. Maintenance Maintaining the landscape in a right way cannot be for- gotten, even in a xeriscape. Like any garden, xeriscape al- so requires operations like pruning, weeding and pest management, of course in a smaller scale. Through xeriscaping the gardens can be kept healthier owing to lesser need of fertil- izers and pesticides. (The author is a forest offi- cer and can be contacted at ‘nchandramohanreddy @gmail.com’) Xeriscaping is a method of garden design which involves choosing plants that can be maintained with little water, says N. CHANDRAMOHAN REDDY MULTIPURPOSE: The concept of xeriscape may be applied to landscapes of any style. Limited water? No problem, go for xeriscaping T he term xeriscaping is derived from of ‘xeros’ which means “dry” in Greek. The XeriscapeTM and the xeriscape logo are registered trademarks of Denver Water, the water department of Denver, Colorado, which were created by Front Range Xeriscape Task Force of Denver Department in 1978. Plants for xeriscape Cacti & succulents: Agave, Furcraea, Dasylirion, Beaucarnea, Sansevieria, Yucca, Adenia, Adenium, Pachypodium, Euphorbia, Tillandsia, Cotyledon, Crassula, Echeveria, Kalanchoe, Pachyphytum, Sedum, Jatropha, Aloe, Haworthia, Glottiphyllum, Operculicarya, Senecio, Espostoa, Gymnocalycium, Mammillaria, Schlumbergera, Opuntia, Pereskia, Tradescantia, Rhoeo, Peperomia, Pedilanthus Flowering shrubs, Climbers: Aptenia, Ipomoea, Uncarina, Daisies, Hamelia, Nerium, Bougainvillea, Gomphrena, Mirabilis, Helianthus, Caesalpinia, Calliandra, Cestrum, Duranta, Lawsonia, Malpighia, Murraya, Petrea, Alcea, Gaillardia, Lantana, Vinca, Zinnia, Thunbergia Trees: Didierea, Plumeria, Commiphora, Cochlospermum, Fouquieria, Ficus, Moringa, Brachychiton, Cassias, Peltophorum, Brucea, Bauhinias, Bombax, Brya, Ceiba, Coccoloba, Conocarpus, Cordia, Dombeya, Erythrina, Firmiana, Hura, Muntingia, Parkia, Sterculia, Swietenia, Tabebuias, Tecomas Palms & Cycads: Arenga, Chamaerops, Coccothrinax, Hyophorbe, Livistona, Phoenix, Sabal, Howea, Cycas, Zamia X-Ratings! Some garden centres and nurseries give X-ratings to the plant materials they sell (the X stood for Xeriscape), from X to XXX, to specify how much water individual types of plants need. (XXX rated being the very low water requiring plant) All about xeriscaping C onserving energy is the need of the hour. That might sound a bit dramatic, but there’s no getting away from the facts: population is increasing, natural resources are dwindling and global warming is a threat. That should be reason enough to switch to energy-efficient home appliances. But if that doesn’t do it for you, then use them because they reduce your electricity bills. Kamal Nandi, executive vice-president, Godrej Ap- pliances, puts things in per- spective. “Whether it is one of our energy-efficient air conditioners or refrigera- tors, the premium spent on the product would have been paid back by your savings on electricity by the end of the first year.” He goes on to say that the 1.5 tonne air condi- tioner from Godrej con- sumes less power than even a hair dryer. Green norms A number of features are incorporated into appliances to make them energy effi- cient and green, and depend- ing on how well they meet the criteria, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) gives star ratings ranging be- tween one and five. The pa- rameters for the star rating are set down by BEE, which comes under the Ministry of Power. Underwriters Labo- ratory (UL), the global prod- uct safety testing and certification organisation, has tied up with BEE for test- ing Indian manufacturers. “In fans, there is an energy saving potential of Rs.310 per year if you use a 5-star product versus a no-star product,” explains R.A. Ven- kitachalam, vice-president and MD, UL (Emerging Mar- kets). “In the case of refriger- ators, savings can reach Rs.2,000 a year for a 250 l model.” Fisher and Paykel, the New Zealand-based ap- pliance manufacturer that recently started retailing in India, is energy focused. “We use adaptive defrost mecha- nisms in refrigeration that activate only when needed and respond to how consum- ers use their fridge,” says Sanjeev Wadhwa, country manager, Fisher & Paykel India. “Our Smart Drive washing machines use intelligent electronics and unique di- rect drive motors to sense water usage and fabric type and optimise the washing ac- tion.” Samsung refrigerators are reportedly up to 26 per cent more energy efficient than conventional refrigerators, while the LED TV consumes less than 40 per cent the power used by an LCD set, according to Mahesh Krish- nan, vice-president, Home Appliances, Samsung India. “We have incorporated in- novative Digital Inverter Compressor in select frost- free refrigerator models, while our washing machines use EcoBubble and Wobble technologies to make them energy-efficient.” Staying tuned However, with innova- tions in technology, the pa- rameters for a particular star rating can change. “The table for star labeling changes over time,” says Venkitachalam. “Last year’s 2-star rated split ACs have become 1-star rated this year.” Appliance technology has to be constantly upgraded. This is matched by much more public awareness about energy efficiency to- day. While BEE has taken steps to educate the public, we are also flooded with advertise- ments about water-saving washing machines, refriger- ators that beep if the door is left open too long, or energy- saving fans and geysers. “We have seen an increas- ing demand for star-rated products,” says Krishnan. “The use of energy-effi- cient products in India has increased from 0.5 per cent to 20 per cent in the last five years,” says Venkitachalam. A BEE 2009-10 report finds that the use of energy-effi- cient appliances in India re- sulted in electricity savings of 4,350 million kWh, equiv- alent to 2,179 MW of avoided capacity generation. Not to mention the many metric tonnes of CO2 emis- sions avoided. SUVASINI SRIDHARAN POWER FACTORS: A number of features are incorporated into appliances to make them energy efficient. Switch to energy-efficient appliances, save on power bills L anco Hills has announced the launch of Lanco Dom- ina which is positioned as an elegant set of two-high rise residential towers. In a press release issued here, the developer says the Domina project, one of the several residential towers within the campus, sets the tone for what Lanco Hills stands for – luxurious, ener- getic, fresh and appealing. The project is spread over a set of two high rise towers with 20 floors each and hav- ing two and three bedroom condominiums ranging from 1,195 sft to 1,580 sft and priced at Rs.42 lakhs on- wards. All condominiums confirm to the world-class features, unique blend of space, style and luxury and premium construction stan- dards of Lanco Hills and are set amongst lush green land- scaping with 70 per cent open to sky. Pochendar Shenigarapu, Lanco Hills CEO says the condominiums offer the ut- most in luxuryand will also provide customers access to the unique Lanco Hills eco- system that aims to improve the quality of life. “Be it the advanced features of the flat, proximity to workplace, en- tertainment zone, conve- nience shopping street, health and fitness options or the high level security sys- tems, the project is designed with utmost detailing to en- hance the experience of ur- ban living for the customer,” he says. Lanco Hills to launch Domina project
