Many parts of the United States are facing water shortages, and even areas on the east coast have been known to have water restrictions in the past, therefore the need for new approaches to gardening. On the one hand, deserts are often thought of as barren and not very interesting places (other than to the scientists), while gardens are thought of as peaceful and colorful places to relax and enjoy nature, flowers and fresh air. The National Botanic Garden has spent the last fifteen years studying plants which require little or no water, are hardy in the mid-Atlantic region and provide the pleasures of a traditional garden. In this process a wonderful discovery was made - xeric gardens properly constructed require almost no maintenance - no more lawn mowing, almost no weeding ever, and of course no watering, even in the driest of times! One advantage/disadvantage of such gardens though is the lack of shade.