How to Keep Your Lawn and Gardens Beautiful with Less Water

When you're looking for ways to reduce your impact on the environment, there’s no better place to start than in your own yard. Lawns and gardens can add beauty to your yard, but they can also use a lot of water. If you want to create an eco-friendlier yard without sacrificing your home’s comfort and curb appeal, these water-wise landscaping resources can help.

Stick to Waterwise Plants and Xeriscape

Planning on starting or overhauling your yard soon? You can use these water-wise tips to ensure that your lawn and garden aren’t wasting this precious natural resource:

• *Put a few DIY gardening tricks to use in your landscaping plans, including using water-wise plants and even xeriscaping:
  *Research water resources in your area to see how water-wise your garden should be.
  *Then pick plants that will thrive in your region, without needing to be watered often.
  *If you really want to reduce water usage, zeroscaping may be another option.
  *And, of course, climates are changing, so you may need to reassess your lawn and garden needs at some point in the future.

Choose Eco-Friendly Irrigation Systems

If you already have an established lawn and garden, you can start saving water by using these water-wise and eco-friendly irrigation tips.

*Remember that watering only your lawn on a hot, sunny day can use 125 gallons of water for every 1,000 square feet of grass in your yard.
*Using timers to water only in the early mornings and evenings can help you conserve water, especially during the hotter summer months.
*Smart sprinkler systems can further reduce water usage by monitoring current weather patterns in your area and adjusting watering schedules accordingly.
*Think about installing a misting system to keep plants properly irrigated.

• Depending on your location, you may also be able to use a rain barrel to reduce water usage.

Look for Other Ways to Conserve Water

Focusing on plants and irrigation systems is your best bet for reducing your water consumption, but other water-wise landscaping elements can also help:

• *Include as many hardscaping elements as possible to keep your yard water-wise and functional for your family.
  *Use raised beds in your garden, which can include containers or simple mounds, in order to improve drainage and reduce waste.
  *Also focus on improving soil quality in your water-wise gardens, to create the right balance of water retention and drainage.
  *Top your gardens off with a layer of mulch to help with water retention.

Don’t let water go to waste in your yard. Choose water-wise and drought-tolerant plants for your landscaping then look for eco-friendly ways to keep those plants watered. Finally, be sure to add other essential lawn and garden elements that will help you reduce your water usage at home and your impact on the world around you.

--By David Dixon

(Contact David Dixon at neighborhoodweek.org)

Photo: Unsplash