Optimizing Your Garden For Drought Or Water Conservation
Gardeners in my area are pulling their hair out due to the long-term dry spell we've been having. Being a gardener in Colorado over the past few years has been a stressful proposition. A severe drought has forced water restrictions that limit the amount of water available for gardens and lawns to the point that the plants can't survive. I've been forced to make changes in my garden so it uses water more efficiently.
Low and behold, I'm the only one in the neighborhood now with a colorful vibrant garden! So I want to share some of the things I've learned about saving water with anyone who's had to deal with prolonged drought or water shortages.
The first thing I did was take all the plants out of the garden. The soil just wasn't holding moisture well, forcing me to use twice as much water as the plants needed to fill their nutrient requirements. I added a lot of good, organic compost to the soil to help prevent water from escaping and encourage my plants' roots to grow and give more stability.
After optimizing the soil in this way and developing a new low-water plan, I replaced my plants, but not in the same spots they had been before. I tried to group them according to their need for water. I put the plants that don't need as much water on one side and staggered the groups that needed more water to the other side. That way, the plants with the greatest need for water were together as well. This really worked out well because now I don't over-water plans with less need. Plants that do need a lot of water get what they need without drowning my other plants. I'm conserving water and using what I can more effectively.
Next, I installed a drip irrigation system that further helped make the most of my limited water resources. Especially effective during the drought, the drip system kept the soil constantly moist without soaking it. The drip irrigation system doesn't waste a single drop of precious water. I lose little to evaporation, and I don't over-water or create conditions for rot and diseases. The really great thing about it is that all I have to do is turn it on, and it does the work. No more back-bending hours with a water can in my garden!
These steps didn't solve all my problems, though. I found that some plants required so much water that it threatened the health of my other plants by cutting back on the water overall. So I decided to substitute the really water-gulping plants with plants with low water requirements. I found some Heavenly Bamboo to use as a shrub to border the garden and make it more interesting. Both decorative and drought-tolerant, the Heavenly Bamboo really improved the overall look of my garden. I learned at the nursery that there are a variety of drought-resistant plants I could have selected.
I replaced a couple of water-guzzling Fuchias with herbs that didn't need much water and also really spiced up our family's meals. And I removed the container plants in my yard. They needed too much water, and much of it drained out the bottom of the container anyway.
When I was shopping for low-water needs plants, I learned about a lot of flowers that did well with less water. Varieties of penstemon (or beard-tongue) my nursery recommended were Moonbeam, Midnight, Apple Blossom, and Garnet. They said if I wanted to attract butterflies or hummingbirds, I should try Yarrow or Cosmos. The plants at the nursery didn't look rugged, but they are. They continue to produce beautiful flowers in droughts.
I already had lots of Lavender. I love it. And it survives drought well. I have a large bunch of Lavender plants at the low-water side of my garden, and they're gorgeous! I'm so glad I didn't have to take those plants out.
Another plant that's doing really well is the Pineapple Sage. This two-foot shrub really does smell like pineapple, and it attracts the hummingbirds that start my days off so nicely. I also use it to add a bit of spice to drinks.
I've had such great success in modifying my garden for the long-term drought we've been suffering that I've made a decision. From now on, I'm going to plan my gardens around the way my plants use water. It doesn't really matter whether we're in a drought. Saving water is a practical and responsible goal for every gardening enthusiast.
In the future, I'll be sure to use plenty of compost and water-conserving landscape principles. But more than anything else, I'll give serious thought to how to arrange my garden to make best use of water, no matter how much I have available.