Water, Water... But is it Everywhere?

As we are in the garden or looking forward to being in the garden, its a good time to look at your garden and its water consumption. Water issues were a big topic of conversation this last year. Concerns about resevoirs drying up, wildfires and drought.

So what are some water saving features you can do?

Start a rain barrell system to water your yard. There are lots of options available and this is a good way to keep your plants watered throughtout the year. The water will also go back into the ground, which will help the undergroud water systems. if you are worried about bugs and water quality in barrels….. a good tip is to put some cut up lemon grass in it! Bugs don’t like the lemon grass, as its a natural bug deterrant and it helps keep the water clean and masking that standing water smell. it also has benefits for your garden! Also, having a dark container will help keep any bacteria growing.

That green lawn you like? Replace it with a clover lawn. Clover lawns have grown in popularity. They are low maintanence, great for pollinators (yes, if you are allergic to bees this would not be a good choice for you). Clover laws are also drought tolerant, so don’t require much water and mowing. They pretty much stay at a small height and not much maintenance is required. If you are perfectionist that loves that crisp look of grass, then this may not be the choice for you, but its a very pretty green and looks amazing. Occassionaly you may get some blank spots, but that is a quick fix by spreading a bit more seed in the spot.

Another option is a river rock garden. These are great for being in the northwest with all the rain to make a rock river formation. You can also plant native plants, creeping plants and have fun with it. Rock gardens are fairly low maintenance and can give a nice clean look. There is a neighnor a few doors down that has it and I am always jealous of how lovely it looks throughtout the year. Thse also help if your garden has a lot of standing water or your yard turns to mush due to a lot of rain. It can direct where the water goes in your garden as well to help with flooding areas in your garden.

Watering your garden with rain barrels, planting native plants and honestly getting rid of that water draining grass will help immensely with those watering demands. Hope these tips and tricks help.