I’m in a quandary here – I love a lush garden but I’m also very concerned about the environment and groundwater depletion. Half of our nation relies on groundwater for drinking. I’ve watched the documentary Home, shocked by overhead shots of Las Vegas and Palm Springs – true deserts, now dotted with lawns and golf courses. We change the surface with water thinking it is limitless, but it’s not.

As gardeners especially, we want to use our water wisely. Not only to save a dime, but to do our part to conserve and ensure there is plentiful drinking water for generations to come. Every one of us can help and here are my tips to still have a bountiful garden while conserving this valuable resource.

WATERING

1. Install a drip irrigation system, especially for scrubs and trees so that the water goes directly to the roots, where it’s needed. If you do have a sprinkler system, make sure that they are all adjusted to water only your lawn and not your house, the sidewalk or the street.
2. Water your lawn and gardens in the morning or evening for two reasons. It’s cooler and the water doesn’t evaporate. Also, you don’t want your plants and grass to burn.
3. If water runs off your lawn and gardens then shorten your watering time for better absorption. You might have to water more often, but you’ll conserve valuable water. Many of us have our sprinklers on a timer, but be conscientious.
4. Adjust your watering schedule to the weather. If it has rained lately or you’ve experienced a period of overcast days, you might not need to water. Check the soil two to three inches below the surface for moisture to see if you need to water or not.
5. Grey water – use it. Grey water is wastewater from home usage. I collect grey water when I rinse vegetable, etc. I then recycle it by using it to water my potted plants.

LANDSCAPING

1. Create more walkways and patios around you property. It solves the watering problem and can create nice oasis of extra outdoor “room” that adds value to your property.

Crushed stone and stepping stone walkway

2. Spread a layer of organic mulch around plants to protect the plants from the sun and wind and it will retain moisture. Organic mulch also helps to suppress weeds. Mulches are especially beneficial to fruit trees, shrubs and even herbs.
3. Adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting. A taller lawn shades roots and holds soil moisture better than if it is closely clipped.

PLANTING

1. Plant at the appropriate times. If you haven’t planted by now, save the rest of your planting until the fall when it is cooler and there is more rainfall.
2. Group plants with the same watering needs together to avoid overwatering some while underwatering others. Along with this, you want to make sure you plant plants in the right place. If the soil or location is unsuitable, you might just waste valuable time, money and water trying to make it grow.

Lavender on a hillside

3. Use indigenous plants, especially scrubs and ground cover and reduce the size of your lawn with areas of these plantings. Drought resistant plants are fantastic and lavender is one of my favorites. With so many varieties, you could plant a whole hillside of lovely lavender. Growing up back east where the environment is lush and water is plentiful, I’m not a big succulent plant lover, but there are some pretty flowering ones. I also like jade and have a few varieties of that around my yard as well (plus I’ve heard for Feng Shui purposes, it’s very good to have around.)
4. Use landscape fabric when planting. This fabric works to keep moisture in and weeds out and can be really beneficial when you plant through it. It also helps to maintain an even soil temperature. Used properly and in the right areas, landscape fabric could really be beneficial to your gardens.
5. Use windbreakers, either man-made or certain plants to protect your garden. We often forget about how wind can really dry out soil or increase evaporation of leaves, thus making the plant suck up more soil from the ground than it usually would. One suggestion is to plant tall runner beans on supports in areas where you could use some wind protection. These beans flower prettily in scarlet or white and are easy to grow. You might even like the taste of the bean better than you do French beans.

Runner Beans

6. Get rid of weeds. Weeds just take up water needed by your plants. Why let them grow to great heights one month only to toss them out the next when you finally get around to weeding. Try to stay on top of it.

LASTLY – SOIL

Always improve your soil with organic matter. Organic matter aids in creating a loamy soil that allows space for water and air to store within the soil that plants can more easily get a hold of. Organic matter also helps maintain the pH balance of the soil and adds nutrients. I use two kinds of organic matter – compost (you can buy by the bag or truckload or make your own) or fertilizers. I like time release (slow) fertilizers which releases best during warm weather, but it won’t burn out your lawn as easily as other types of fertilizer. It does cost a little bit more, but I think you’ll like it. Use fast release fertilizers in colder weather or climates.

—

If you would like to watch the documentary Home online, go to YouTube.com.