Xeriscaping involves a different kind of maintenance. During the summer, while some of you poor suckers are pushing a loud, smoggy lawnmower back and forth every week. Pouring fertilizers, pesticides and water onto your outdoor, hopefully not wall to wall carpet, I'm doing next to nothing but the occasional cutting back of a spent plant and pulling a weed here and there. My rule of thumb is not to cut anything back unless I don't like looking at it. I'm rewarded in the winter with a lot of interest. The Coneflowers in the picture are one of the best for winter interest. My work starts when the snow melts. I will start cutting back select things that no longer hold appeal. If you want to get a lot done in one day use a hedge trimmer. They make quick work out of ornamental grasses, russian sage and lavender to name a few. There are many advantages to this method. I get to work in forty degree weather rather than ninety and I get my yoga workout reaching and twisting as I prune to name a couple. If you have been reading this blog you have a pretty good idea what I'm going to do after this laborious process. Thats right, I'm finding a sunny spot to soak up some rays and catch a well deserved nap.