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Water conservation in gardening

By: Chris Moore

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Water conservation refers to the reduction in the usage of water, plus, recycling of waste water so that it can be reused, in order to reduce environmental degradation, water pollution and cost. This is indeed an important factor that should be considered especially in large scale landscaping projects. One should calculate and decide on the amount of water that is required (in terms of liters or galloons) per square area of the garden.

There are many factors one may consider when conserving water in garden irrigation. Planting species that require little or no water (alyssum, California poppies, coneflowers, stonecrop, globe amaranth, cacti, honeysuckle, gardenia, jasmine, foxglove, dusty miller and marigold are a few examples) will be a long-term advantage. Hence, even during a severe drought, your garden will have some green in it.

Also noting leaking pipes, broken faucets and power-wasting fountains and repairing or replacing them constantly, fixing irrigation systems that shut down automatically every few hours (automatic water sprinklers), replacing the motorized water fall with a still water pond with Tank Cleaner Fish (so that you needn't worry about cleaning it) and using low power heads (less water released per unit time) on faucets and sprinklers are some wise decisions to be made, in order to conserve water.

If you believe that the type of lawn grass you have grown demands more water, replace it, maybe with pebbles instead of grass. You can always grow less grass on the lawn or chose local varieties. Having a few artificial plants (natural looking, of course) will do good to your water conserving projects. Did you know that by adjusting the lawn mower one notch higher (so that the grass is cut taller) saves water? Well, yes. It will help retain water in the soil for longer.

One other precaution that can be taken is to reduce water evaporation from your garden. This will keep the soil and the plants moist longer. Putting layers of mulch, chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel around plants will save up to 1,500 gallons a month.

Watering plants should be done during cooler times of the day. For one, you sure don't want to spend time toiling over the plants when it is scorching hot. Dusk or morning hours are best to garden. Also avoid watering unnecessarily. You shouldn't water on windy or rainy days, for wind increases evaporation. Water the "thirstier" plants and leave out the ones that are suited for drier atmospheres. You can also use the waste water (from the kitchen) on the plants or wash the car on the lawn. At the end of the day, prioritizing your work is what helps you to conserve.

You may even think of reducing the number of plants. You sure have seen some gardens attractive but a little too gaudy with rose bushes overlapping Gardenia, and orchids covering Beech trunks. Try to keep the garden simple if your atmosphere is warmer. Also, having fully grown trees is an added advantage. They will provide shade to the grass and the smaller plants, reducing release of water and since tree roots are embedded deeper in the soil, you needn't water them as often.

When you clean the sidewalk, try not to wash it. You can sweep and rake it instead and let the rain water do the rest.

After all, water is a finite natural resource that must be conserved because it is limited and scarce in many places. Even if you live in an area with ample rainfall, using water wisely, hence saving energy will keep your garden green for longer and will also make the earth greener.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Landscapes WA are a Perth based landscape company providing residential landscaping services in Western Australia.

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