Xeriscaping is the process of landscaping or gardening that reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water from irrigation.

• A. Xeriscaping is the practice of landscaping that uses high water irrigation.
• B. Xeriscaping is the process of landscaping or gardening that reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water from irrigation.
• C. Xeriscaping is the practice of hydroponic growing.
• D. Xeriscaping is the science of soil erosion control.

Answer: (B)

Xeriscaping focuses on designing landscapes so they require little to no supplemental irrigation beyond rainfall. It achieves this by choosing drought-tolerant plants suited to the local climate, grouping plants by similar water needs, applying mulch to reduce evaporation, improving soil to hold moisture, and using efficient irrigation methods like drip systems. This approach minimizes water use while still maintaining an attractive, functional landscape.

The other options describe concepts that don’t fit xeriscaping: using high-water irrigation increases, not reduces, water needs; hydroponics involves growing in a nutrient solution without soil and isn’t about landscapes outdoors; and soil erosion control is about preventing soil loss rather than reducing irrigation requirements.