The only thing better than having a beautiful yard is having a beautiful yard that is also water conscious! So many yards these days consist of large amounts of grass that don't often get used and take a lot of time, money, and water to maintain. As we mention in our blog, "A Complete Guide to Eco Friendly Landscaping", we talk about how the average household uses 96,000 gallons of water on their lawn alone in a single year! That's crazy! While you may not be ready to part with your traditional lawn, we do have some tips to help you conserve water and still maintain a beautiful yard.
Xeriscape Landscaping
The most obvious answer for how to create water efficient landscapes is xeriscaping. Xeriscaping is the strategic use of plants and materials that are drought-tolerant and water conscious. However, xeric landscapes often call for the removal of all non-native plants, including your traditional lawns. Traditional grass lawns consume obscene amounts of water, so the easiest way to use less water is to eliminate what uses the most water. Many people aren't quite ready to take such a big step towards water conserving landscaping, and that's ok! There are plenty of other things you can do to help limit your water use.
Use Native Plants
Using native plants in your landscaping can help conserve water more than you might think! Plants that are not native to the area take more water and more special care to keep them looking beautiful, while plants that are native to Colorado and our arid environment can usually survive on little water and stay looking beautiful. And while you may think that using native plants will limit your options, you would actually be quite surprised at the number of native plants there are to choose from! Learn about native plant options here.
Remove Excess Grass
We mentioned right off the bat how much water is consumed by grass. And while you may not be ready to get rid of all your grassy spaces, limiting the amount of grass your yard consists of is a great option! Grass is great for dogs, kids, and adults alike, but who often uses every inch of their lawns? Think about the area you use the most and keep that space, but remove all the surrounding grass and replace it with a more water-conscious medium.
Water At Night
Watering your landscaping during the coolest part of the day is key if you want to try to conserve as much water as possible. Watering during the hottest part of the day can lead to as much as 1/4th of the water you use evaporating. So, if you haven't already, consider scheduling your sprinkler system to turn on in the early hours of the morning when it is coolest.
Don't Overwater
Many landscapes, believe it or not, are overwatered! It is easy for homeowners to know that their lawn will need a lot of water during the summer, and then over-water their lawn due to a lack of awareness regarding how much water a lawn actually needs. If you need help figuring out how much water your lawn needs to stay lush and healthy, consult with one of our irrigation specialists. They can help you understand just how much water your lawn needs so that you know how to program your irrigation system appropriately.
Use Drip Irrigation Lines
Using a drip irrigation system is another great way to maintain water efficient landscapes. This type of irrigation system works best with flowerbeds and landscaping, rather than large grassy spaces. However, installing drip lines at the base of all your trees, shrubs, and perennial plants will help make sure the water you use gets to the roots of the plants with minimal evaporation. It also makes sure that water isn't wasted on areas where nothing is planted.
Mulch Your Plants
Adding a layer of mulch around the base of your plants will greatly decrease evaporation as well! This practice can be applied anywhere you have plants growing. Use bark chips around the base of your trees, shrubs, and perennial plants, or use grass clippings to cover the soil in your garden! This will help hold moisture in the soil where your plants can access it and help you maintain a more water conserving landscaping.
Learn More About Water Efficient Landscapes
If you are interested in learning more about water conserving landscaping, check out our blog! We have some great articles for you on unique plants that are native to Colorado, the principles of xeriscaping, guides on eco friendly landscaping, and so much more! You can also give us a call or fill out a contact form if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!