Practical Tips for Water-Wise Gardening
On May 20, David Petersen and I participated on behalf of Tonkon Torp's Sustainability Law Practice in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District's Sustainability Showcase. While perusing the displays put up by the various businesses and local government agencies, I was able to pick up some useful information about water-wise gardening in the Pacific Northwest, including a great guide created by horticulture and conservation experts to assist the general gardener in making informed decisions about how to use water more efficiently in their landscapes. Following are some tips from this guide that I find very useful:
• The fact that most automatic irrigation timers are set to go off in the early mornings puts a great strain on water utilities, which must often super-size their facilities to meet early-morning water demand. A better time period for setting irrigation timers is during off-hours, i.e., between 11 pm and 5 am.
• A yard has numerous microclimates formed or affected by influences such as the house, balconies, rooftops, fences, walls, large rocks or trees, and paved surfaces. You can create a healthier landscape by selecting plants most suited to a particular microclimate.
• Only plant (or allow to remain, as the case may be) turf areas where grass is practical and functional. Good alternatives to grass are ground covers (particularly good for steep slopes where grass is hard to maintain and foot traffic is infrequent) and hardscape features such as pathways or patios.
• Only use organic mulch to cover the soil in your garden. Plastic mulches tend to increase soil temperatures and do not stimulate the activity of beneficial soil organisms that improve soil structure and biology.
• Last and certainly not least, water wisely: (i) water based on soil conditions and plant needs; (ii) water deeply but infrequently; (iii) use drip hoses instead of sprinklers; and (iv) water in accordance with the weather.
There are some beautiful water-efficient Demonstration Gardens in the Willamette Valley if you'd like to see what a water-wise garden looks like on the ground, including a 7,000 sq. ft. garden at Clackamas Community College and a 1.3 acre garden at the Tualatin Valley Water District.
Happy water wise gardening!
Post authored by Jeanette Schuster, attorney practicing in the Sustainability and Real Estate and Land Use Groups.
Comments
Great article, too many people waste water. Here is Philadelphia this year, we haven't needed to water much in about 2 months. It's been like living in a rainforest on the East Coast this Spring!!
Posted by: Jill | June 18, 2009 12:10 PM
Nice Post! Today when fresh water levels in many parts of the world have dropped alarmingly, the need to spread awareness on xeriscaping has become very important. In fact posts like these go a long way in encouraging people plan a water wise garden. Here are some more tips by BeWaterWise.com which will help the cause - http://www.bewaterwise.com/knowledge01.html . I hope it will be useful for all garden lovers who are looking for a way to maintain a beautiful landscape and not spend too much water.
Posted by: BeWaterWise Rep | June 19, 2009 6:33 AM
A beautiful garden around your house increases the value of your property, brings cheer to the residents and offers a creative play area for the children.
However with increasing water scarcity, not just in other parts of the world but the US too, the need to adopt water wise gardening practices is extremely important. Besides the excellent water conserving tips in the post above, there are a few more available at BeWaterWise.com, for details click on this link -http://tr.im/rllG and of course spread the word around about a waterwise garden and how it can reduce your water bill.
Posted by: BeWaterWise Rep | July 8, 2009 1:38 AM
By watering your garden in the morning preferably before sunrise, all the water seeps through the soil and there is reduced evaporation. Arranging all the plants according to how much water each would need is another point you could consider. Because of the water shortage situation in several parts of the world, water-wise gardening by all who have gardens, could help a lot. You will find more tips on using water efficiently at http://tr.im/sLVD
Posted by: BeWaterWise Rep | July 17, 2009 4:53 AM
This was a topic of conversation yesterday at lunch with my colleague. I have to agree with you that your point was right on the mark.
Posted by: Andy A. Sailer | December 17, 2009 10:15 PM