Low Water Summer Gardens
If you live in
a dessert community or in an area that often experiences seasons of
drought or extremely dry times during the year then it is quite
likely that you would be best served by considering a summer garden
that requires a little less water than the average summer garden by
avoiding the lush greens and big 'drinking' plants that many people
prefer to keep in their gardens in favor of plants that consumer
water more economically and employing water saving methods to
maximize the benefit of water that is used in your summer
garden.
There are several things you can do in order to insure that your
summer garden is water friendly and doesn't over tax water systems
that are often overburdened in attempts to keep them lush and
green. One of the first, and most responsible things you can do is
scale back your idea of what a summer garden should be. You do not
need a huge summer garden filled with lush greenery in order to
make a good impression. In fact, a responsible garden that
conserves the natural resources and highlights the natural plant
life is often a garden that is much more deserving of accolades
than one that uses too many of the limited natural resources that
are available.
The second thing you should do is think local rather than global
when finding suitable plants for your low water summer garden.
Dessert plants and flowers are accustomed to the dessert climate
and can survive with low amounts of water and flourish. If you must
have some of the more lush greenery or a few more exotic plants in
your summer garden consider using them sparingly and supplementing
your garden with local plants and flowers.
Third, you should use things that aren't plants in order to fill
in gaping holes in the landscaping. For this you could use rocks,
stones, nice lawn ornaments and a wide array of other things to
fill in the holes that you feel are left behind by the absence of
greenery and create borders and boundaries for your low water
summer garden.
Finally, keep your lawn green by using low water grass mixes.
This is a great way in almost any climate to combat drier than
normal summer seasons and keep lawns lush and green without
investing a great deal of time and effort watering the lawn. The
savings in water costs alone are often quickly cover the cost of
the investment in the new grass for your lawn and will help the
focus remain on your bright and beautiful lawn to the point that
many homeowners do not lament the absence of a huge summer
garden.
Living in an
area that doesn't have the natural resources necessary to create a
beautiful and lush summer garden should not eliminate the
possibility of having any sort of summer garden at all. By making
wise decisions in regards to the type and volume of plants to
include in your summer garden you can take matters into your own
hands and insure the ability to maintain a low water summer garden
that will be the envy of the neighborhood. Combine these efforts
with water conservation methods inside your home for amazing
results and a beautiful summer garden no matter how dry the area in
which you live may be.
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