Keywords: Deciduous shrubs; evergreen shrubs; herbaceous species; mulch, planting Soil temperature and moisture are not only two important factors in designing urban landscapes, but in dry cities with hot summers and cold winters, they are two essential factors for plants’ survival. Mulches and planting combinations are two important principles of xeriscaping or water-wise landscaping. We investigated the effects of water-wise planting combinations and mulch types on soil moisture and temperature at depths of 5, 15, and 30 cm. The planting combination had five levels from perennial herbaceous plants to mixtures of herbaceous flowering plants and deciduous and evergreen shrubs. Scoria and wood chips were selected as mulch factors. In summer, the planting that included a combination of herbaceous plants with deciduous and evergreen shrubs had the highest soil moisture content at a depth range of 5-30 cm. Also, this planting type decreased the soil temperature by 2.5°C in the same depth range. Wood chips was the most efficient mulch for the soil temperature moderation in summer. This mulch type reduced the soil temperature to 0.0 °C compared to the soil temperature under scoria which was 1.6 °C. The evergreen pla

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