Midwest Landscaping

The largest of all the United States regions, the Midwest can be separated into two parts. The northern half of the Midwest is made up of the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin while the southern half contains Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Both the northern and southern portions of the Midwest experience dry spells and wind, so landscapers apply various conservational techniques to save energy and resources while they beautify. Clever placement of foliage can shelter homes from extreme weather; trees, shrubs and vines can neutralize the effects of wind and sun, thereby conserving the energy required to heat or cool homes.

Another method of landscaping that was conceptualized by the Denver Water Department in 1981 is called xeriscaping, employed to reduce water use and thereby conserve the water supply. Derived from the Greek word “xeros” or dry, xeriscaping is a type of landscaping that is designed to combat drought. Xeriscaping utilizes other ground covers besides grass, a layering that sucks up an excess of water and easily burns in the summer heat. In the Midwest, landscapers frequently make use of flag stone patios, rock gardens adorned with succulents such as cacti. Drought resistant potted plants such as geraniums, sedums and lamb's ears are great fillers for dry coverings of landscape.