How Can I Create a Low-Water-Use Garden?
Despite having two recent above average rain years, very few people debate that conserving water is a good idea both for financial reasons and to plan for possible dry years in the future. It’s important for backyard designers near me in Healdsburg to consider these factors. When designing a garden we must account for a wide range of possible climate scenarios, from the very hot dry ones, to unusually cold and wet ones, however it’s usually the drier ones that cause the most issues in the landscape. Here are 4 ways we help our clients design gardens that are low water use.
How Do I Water My Garden with Less Water?
Installing a drip system with a wifi-enabled weather sensing controller dramatically increases your water efficiency. While drip irrigation helps reduce the amount of water you need to apply to keep your plants happy, proper irrigation scheduling is a critical part of watering less.
Among the water saving techniques for your outdoor space, a drip irrigation system controlling a low-water-use plant palette can still end up using more water than necessary because every day brings a change in temperature and humidity conditions. Modern technology such as the Hunter Hydrawise system, which we were involved in beta testing and implement for all of our clients, uses real time weather station data to change watering durations and frequency based on preset parameters such as ‘Water 20% less when the temperature is under 70 degrees’, or ‘Pause all watering if there is .25 inches of rain in the last 24 hrs’. These tools are priceless for the purpose of automating adjustments to fine tune the amount of water applied every time your controller runs to be appropriate for the current weather conditions.
What is a Type of Landscape that Uses Very Little Water?
Native plants have evolved to survive our local climate with only the rainfall that occurs naturally every year, planting natives is one of the best ways to use less water. While some native plants might require a little summer water to look their best, backyard designers in Healdsburg know they will use far less water than non-natives.
Desert plants have dramatic shapes and architecture that are incredibly unique compared to other plants and add flare to your landscape design without requiring much, if any, irrigation. Often people assume a desert garden is sparse and bland, but many desert plants are actually quite lush and bloom in abundance – such as Sphaeralca ‘Desert Globe Mallow’. These unique plants can make your garden more eco-friendly by conserving water.
How Can I Find Out What Plants Use the Least Water?
Some visual indicators include plants with gray foliage such as our native Salvia sonomensis ‘Creeping Sage’, or Santolina chamaecyparissus ‘Lavender Cotton’. Gray and silvery foliage helps the plant reflect sunlight and lose less water due to evaporation than glossy dark green leaves and is a common characteristic of the most drought tolerant plants.
If you’re willing to do some research, the UC Davis Water Use Classification of Species database is perhaps the best resource for finding out exactly which plants will perform well in low water use gardens in your area and sustainable practices for a greener garden. When submitting permits for new construction most municipalities request that we use this database to rate each plant on our plans to calculate exactly how much water we expect to use after installation. The database is widely recognized as the highest authority when it comes to water use for plants in California. It can be found using this link – https://ccuh.ucdavis.edu/wucols
Create a Water-Saving Masterpiece with Inspired Landscapes
Embrace sustainability with a new stunning low-water garden from Inspired Landscapes. We specialize in creating beautiful, drought-tolerant landscapes that save water and reduce maintenance without sacrificing style. Reach out today and contact Inspired Landscapes or call (707) 395-7474 to start your consultation.
