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Blooming gardens and lush lawns are a joy in the summertime, but they can also be huge water hogs. While every garden is a bit different, depending on your local microclimate, the site of your garden, and your soil composition, among other things, these tips will help every gardener save thousands of gallons of water.
1. Cut out the lawn
NASA estimated that our nation's lawn use up to 238 gallons of water per person, per day. While that does include non-residential spaces, like community parks and the like, it still averages out to a whopping 1000 gallons per day for a family of four, so, while that humongous number might not be wasted on your back yard, the simple fact is, no lawn means much less water. Happily, there are several things you can do to make your yard pretty while scrapping the lawn; read on to learn more.
Potential savings: Thousands upon thousands of gallons per year.
Photo credit: Getty Images / Nathan Blaney
2. Go with native plants
Choosing native plants -- that is, plants that would naturally grow in your area — is a really easy way to save water. Here's the theory: Native plants have evolved to thrive given the precipitation and weather patterns of your backyard; if you live in a dry climate, they don't require much supplemental watering, and if you live in a damp climate, they won't explode with all the extra water. They "know" how to store water from spring rains so they can thrive in drier summers, and tend to have deep roots, to search out sources of a cool drink, deep down in the soil. And, even in the driest of summers, they just need a quick drink every now and then. Check out the Grow Native! project for more info on choosing native plants.
Potential savings: If you replace a water-intensive 100 square foot garden with native plants, you can save more than 500 gallons a week.
Image credit: Getty Images / Martin Child
3. Choose other water-conserving plants
Each individual tomato plant will transpire -- that is, "breathe" out moisture — 30 gallons of water, over its lifespan; a single corn stalk will transpire 55 gallons. Vegetables are 80 to 95 percent water, and some of that gets breathed back into the air by the plants. While it's a perfectly natural, and even healthy, process, carefully choosing your plants can save lots of water over a summer watering season.
Potential savings: Over 500 gallons for just five tomato plants and seven stalks of corn.
Photo credit: Getty Images / George Marks
4. Xeriscape
Derived from the Greek word 'xeros,' meaning 'dry,' plus 'landscape,' Xeriscaping is catching on as the perfect marriage between pretty plants and water conservation. While it can include water-hoarding succulents like cacti, it certainly doesn't have to; the idea behind a Xeriscapes is to create gardens with a rational water use, to avoid any wasted water. Taking the native garden to the extreme, properly designed xeriscapes minimize water loss through evaporation and run-off. Each is a bit different, depending on your particular location, but there are even ways to include grass -- there are varieties of drought-tolerant turf grass, for example.
Potential savings: 50 to 80 percent; that means if you're an average lawn-watering family of four, and 50 percent of your water gets used outside to begin with, you could cut your water consumption by 150 gallons a day.
Image credit: Getty Images / Russell Illig
5. Skip the sprinkler
If you've followed some (or all) of these tips, and still need a way to give your plants a drink, be sure to water wisely. Your best bet is to skip the sprinkler (see how that sprinkler in the picture above is spraying up in the sky? Not good.), and go with a drip irrigation system. They're about 90 percent efficient, compared to between 65 and 75 percent for sprinklers, meaning that 90 percent of the water gets to where your plants can use it. That extra 15 to 25 percent will really add up.
Potential savings: A garden for a family of four can save up to another 150 gallons per day with a drip irrigation system.
More on green gardening
How to Go Green: Gardening
Quiz: How Green is Your Garden?
2009: The Year of the Edible Garden
How to Make Your Own Rain Garden
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