Service · Water economy

Xeriscape design that doesn't look like a parking lot.

Drought-tolerant Hill Country landscapes. Agave, yucca, salvia, sage, native grass, decomposed granite, boulders. 80%+ less water than lawn. Beautiful through August.

Agave · yucca · sage · DG · boulders 80%+ water reduction

Xeriscape isn't gravel and a few yuccas. Done right, it's the most interesting landscape on the block — and the one that needs the least water.

Most San Antonio "xeriscape" we drive past is a parking lot with three agaves. That's not xeriscape. That's giving up. Real xeriscape is a designed ecology that happens to use 80% less water than the lawn it replaced.

Noon's xeriscape work pairs Hill Country natives that evolved to thrive in 32 inches of annual rainfall with hardscape that does structural work — decomposed granite walking surfaces, boulders that hold heat into the evening, rusted-steel edging that frames the planting. The result reads as intentional, not minimal.

§ 1 · How we design

Structure first. Then plants.

Xeriscape that works starts with the bones — slope, walking paths, structural elements (boulders, ledges, planters). Plants fill in. Most failed xeriscape skips the structure and goes straight to scattering plants in gravel.

What makes xeriscape look good is the same as what makes any landscape look good: structure, intentionality, year-round interest, and a focal point. The water savings come for free once you do the design work right.

§ 2 · What's included

Real installations.

Included
Site read + sun/aspect mapping
On-property assessment. West walls, south exposures, heat sinks identified.
Included
Hardscape design + install
DG paths, stepping stones, boulder placement, rusted-steel edging, optional dry creek beds.
Included
Plant palette by water tier
Cactus, agave, yucca, sage, salvia, ornamental grass. Matched to your sun, soil, deer pressure.
Included
Caliche-broken planting holes
Each tier-2 or tier-3 plant gets a real planting hole — not just a divot in the gravel.
Included
Year-1 drip irrigation
Establishment-only. System off by year 2 on most plants.
Included
Optional dry creek beds
Decorative + functional — handles runoff during summer storms.
§ 3 · Pricing

Honest pricing.

Xeriscape costs more per square foot than a lawn install but less per year to maintain. Most clients phase by zone.

Front yard zone
$4,000-$10,000
500-1,500 ft² · hardscape + planting + year-1 drip · single design ecology
Half property
$10,000-$20,000
1,500-3,500 ft² · multi-zone · dry creek bed + boulder feature
Whole property
$20,000-$30,000+
Multi-acre or estate · full master plan + phased install
§ 4 · Why xeriscape

The economics.

A typical St. Augustine front yard in Bexar County uses 18,000-30,000 gallons of supplemental water per year. A well-designed xeriscape replacement uses 3,000-5,000 — almost all of it in the first establishment year. By year 2, the xeriscape pulls almost nothing.

SAWS WaterSaver coupons rebate up to $300 per project for qualifying xeriscape conversions. Combine that with the avoided water bill and mowing cost, and a typical front-yard xeriscape pays back in 6-10 years on cash flow alone. That's before you count the higher property value of a drought-resilient yard.

And visually: a well-designed xeriscape improves every year. Agave bloom (once a decade, spectacularly). Yuccas mature. Grasses fill. The lawn it replaced peaks at install and degrades from there.

§ 5 · Cross-links

Read more.

Tool
Native Planting Estimator
Free calc — xeric palette → plant count + species list.
Service
Lawn Removal & Meadow
If you want softer than xeriscape — a native meadow.
Service
Native Landscape Design
The fuller arc — beyond xeric.
§ 6 · FAQ

Common questions.

What is xeriscape?
Landscape design that minimizes the need for supplemental irrigation through drought-tolerant plants, smart hardscape, and water-conscious soil prep. Originated in Denver in the 1980s. The seven principles: planning, soil improvement, appropriate plants, efficient irrigation, mulch, hardscape, and maintenance. Hill Country xeriscape uses native Texas plants adapted to caliche soil and 32 inches of annual rainfall.
Will xeriscape look like a parking lot?
Only if it's designed badly. Most of the "xeriscape" we drive past in San Antonio is a few agaves scattered in gravel — that's not xeriscape, that's giving up. Real xeriscape uses structural plants (yuccas, agaves), filler plants (sage, salvia, damianita), grasses for movement, and hardscape elements (boulders, DG paths, dry creek beds) to create year-round visual interest. Done right, it's the most interesting landscape on the block.
What drought-tolerant plants grow in San Antonio?
Texas natives are the safest bets: Texas sage (cenizo), salvia greggii, damianita, blackfoot daisy, agave americana, yucca rupicola, Mexican feathergrass, Mexican bush sage, prickly pear, lantana, Texas mountain laurel, salvia farinacea, esperanza, plumbago. We design with the water-need tier so the highest tier matches the highest-visibility focal points.
Do xeriscape plants need any water?
First year: yes, regular deep watering until establishment. After year 1: most palette items survive entirely on rainfall. Tier 1 plants (cactus, agave, yucca) need zero supplemental water after year 1. Tier 2 (sage, salvia) benefit from occasional deep water during multi-month droughts. Drip irrigation system handles all of this and is off by year 2 on most plants.
How much water can xeriscape save?
A typical St. Augustine front yard in San Antonio uses 18,000-30,000 gallons of supplemental water per year. A well-designed xeriscape replacement uses 3,000-5,000 the first year and 1,000-2,000 in subsequent years. That's 80-95% reduction. SAWS WaterSaver rebates up to $300 for qualifying conversions.
How much does xeriscape design cost in San Antonio?
A front yard zone (500-1,500 ft²) including hardscape, planting, and year-1 drip irrigation runs $4,000-$10,000. Half-property conversion: $10,000-$20,000. Whole-property or estate-scale: $20,000-$30,000+. Site Read + design only (no install) is $299-$499 standalone.
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