Landscape design can sometimes be a lot like detective work. Before we draw a line on the drawing board or choose the first plant to put on it, we need to understand what the land is already telling us.

A resilient landscape should feel composed, layered, and beautiful when conditions get difficult. And dry gardening, or xeriscaping, can absolutely still be lush. It can be architectural, and feel soft all at once. Even the high and dry Edwards Plateau is a savanna, not a desert. A landscape design always works out better when the plants in them are happy living right where you put them.

I want to talk about something that I think is very controversial. It is a topic that spans a multitude of social orders and questions...