It Is Time to Think About Our Planet. Here Are Tips to Help Reduce Water Usage in Your Lawn and Garden

Who doesn’t love a pretty garden? A place where you can peacefully sip on your coffee in the morning, listening to the music of nature before the bustle of the day begins. But our gardens, as pretty as they are, can come with a hidden problem-they use a lot of water. According to the EPA, up to 30% of the water usage in a typical American home is used outside.

With drought areas on the rise, it is important that we take necessary precautions to decrease our water usage. But what can we do? Our plants need water, right? Below are a few ideas to help you reduce the water usage in your lawn and garden.

Plan Carefully

The beginning stages of any garden is the planning, and it is in this stage that you can make the biggest impact when it comes to reducing your water consumption. There are several ways to design a beautiful garden that does not take a lot of water, both ornamental and useful. One thing is for sure, you do not have to sacrifice beauty for practicality.

Rock Landscaping

Rock landscaping is not only an option that requires zero water to implement, but it also provides great drainage when natural water does enter your yard, helping to prevent flooding in other areas.

There are five common kinds of landscaping rocks to choose from including pea gravel, lava rocks, decomposed granite, crushed granite, and river rocks. Each has their own unique looks and qualities, so your chance to choose which one is right for you. You can find any of these options at big box retailers such as Lowes or Home Depot, and they are often sold in a small family owned garden ’s as well.

Drought Tolerant Plants

Add a bit of color to your garden with hardy plants that do not require too much effort. Aloe Vera only has to be watered every other week, for example, and it also provides medicinal qualities. Beard Tongue and Wild Lilac are both tolerant to dry and hot climates, while also giving your garden a splash of color.

If you are looking for edible options that do not need a lot of water, consider plants like artichokes and sweet potatoes. Neither of these requires much water after they are established and provide a pretty background to your yard.

Mulch

Much like rocks, mulch provides an easy way to cover the ground in your yard while also providing drainage for the water that naturally seeps through. Mulch also has the added benefit of suppressing weeds from popping up and can be used around your other plants to help them hold in more of the water you give them.

Mulch comes in many different varieties and colors and can be bought by the bag or in bulk at stores such as Lowes. With this kind of diversity, you can add depth and interest to your space without having to break the bank.

Make It Count

If you want your garden to be appealing, but also maximize it’s worth, consider making it edible. Edible gardens to do not have to be boring, fruits and vegetables can bring a rich array of colors to your yard while also lowering your food bill. Bright yellow squash and crimson red tomatoes that are grown by you can add value to your health as well.

The average American garden can grow about $600 worth of produce on their own, but don’t count out your flowers just yet. Roses, pansies, and violets can all be eaten while lavender, chamomile, and carnations all have medicinal purposes.

Just make sure to be careful about which pesticides are used on your plants both before and after you purchase them if they are going to be consumed.

Get Creative

We use a lot of water in our yards, but who says it all has to come from the city’s water reserves? You can collect, and even reuse water from your home to water your plants. It just takes a bit of effort on your part to get the process started.

Rain Barrels

Rain barrels are specially made to collect and store rainwater for your lawn and garden. This water runs through your gutters each time it rains, making it an economical resource for your home.

Most, like the rain barrels from RTS Home Accents, come with spigots that allow you to connect your water hose directly to the barrel. You can also find them in a variety of different colors and designs. From one that looks like a terracotta pot, to another that reminds you of a piece of Roman pottery.

Grey Water Filtration

Recycling is one of the best-known ways of conserving energy, why not use the same concept to conserve water?

We all use water, every single day. From showers to dishes, to flushing the toilet. And the water has to go somewhere. Why not divert that water back into your home, to be used again by your lawn and garden.

Grey water filtration systems, such as the Aqua2use, take water that has been used in your shower, dishwasher, or washing machine and filter out all of the soap and grime to make it clean and usable again. This water can be used to water your plants and keep your lawn luscious without costing you more money.

Keep Everything Maintained

A luscious, green lawn can make you the envy of the neighborhood. But keeping it that way can use a lot of water, especially if your sprinkler system is malfunctioning. A broken sprinkler head can release between 13 and 16 gallons of water per minute, that’s roughly 7800 gallons a month.

This doesn’t mean you have to give up on your green wonderland though, you just need to call a professional. Having a professional handyman come out to assess and repair your sprinkler system can save you both water and money throughout the year. You can have your grass and do your part to save water too.

Don’t stop at the sprinkler system though, make sure to check that there are not any leaks in your outdoor faucets as well as your water hose. Both can cause water to be wasted throughout the year.

Reducing water usage in your yard does not mean that you have to give up the beauty and life a garden has to offer. There are several things that you can do to ensure you are doing your part to reduce your water consumption. From choosing drought-tolerant landscaping, collecting rainwater, and choosing plants with multiple uses. All it takes is a little planning, and a touch of creativity. It might seem small, but if we all do our part, we can make a big difference.

 

Author Bio

Edward Flanagan is the founder of Edward’s Enterprises, a handyman service & licensed general contractor that has been improving homes and providing facilities maintenance in Southern California since 1996. Their landscaping services include yard work, sprinkler repairs and installation and general yard work. Edward currently divides his time between Camarillo and Venice Beach, CA, and loves the 405.

Photo by Kari Shea on Unsplash