A Waterwise Garden, Parts 1 and 2

Part One

This article is the first of a series of articles on sustainable gardening practices.

We living here in Southern California are lucky to be in a Mediterranean climate where a huge variety of plant species can grow. However, we are not so blessed when it comes to rainfall. Here in the L.A. area, we have not received our average 14' of rain for 7 years now. This period of drought could extend for years and some experts are speculating, for decades into the future. It is therefore imperative to implement water conserving measures in our gardens.

In this article and in next month's, I offer some suggestions.

Photo courtesy Rick Grubb

The first and perhaps the most efficacious for saving water, is to reduce or eliminate lawn. It is estimated that there are 20-30 million acres of lawn in the U.S. The expansive, manicured lawn tradition found its way to this country from jolly, olde, rain-soaked England, where it evolved as a status symbol: the more acres of sod lawn you had, the richer you were. In most cities in the U.S., lawns consume between 30-60% of municipal water supplies and, in some areas (like the San Fernando Valley where I live) that figure is probably closer to 80%.

And of what value is lawn for wildlife? Almost none.

The lawn story gets worse: in addition to water gluttony, large swaths of lawn are often doused with millions of pounds of synthetic pesticides and herbicides which negatively effect the eco-system in our soil, as well as poisoning any critter that happens to feed on the poisoned lawn pest (and so on up the food chain). Add to that the millions of pounds of chemical fertilizers applied to lawns and consider that all of these chemicals run-off (most homeowners over-water their lawns) into our streets, sewers, streams, rivers, and ultimately the ocean where they do their toxic damage. And let's not forget the CO2 that is pumped into the atmosphere from all those gasoline powered lawn mowers. And last, but not least, there are the health problems that all these products potentially cause, especially in children and in the workers who use them regularly.

Alternatives to lawn: if the lawn has been used for children to play on, consider a low growing, low water using, low maintenance native ground cover or an unplanted area of decomposed granite. If the lawn has been simply decorative, consider replacing it with a meadow of native grasses and perennials, or beds for native plants connected by paths of decomposed granite, or a pond/water garden, or a rock garden, or a succulent garden.

Any of these choices will not only conserve water, but also save you time, energy and money. And let's not forget that in the process, you will also be providing a welcoming habitat for our wild friends.

Part Two

In addition to reducing or eliminating lawns, there are many other measures we can take to conserve precious water in our gardens.

Capturing rainwater and overhead sprinkler water: Replace non-porous surfaces (concrete, asphalt, brick, etc) with porous ones (decomposed granite, gravel, etc). Instead of water running off into the street and sewer system (with it's toxic brew of chemicals if you haven't eliminated those) , it will percolate into your garden soil. An added bonus: by removing materials that are heat trapping, you will lower the temperature around your home.

Create swales and dry stream beds which will act as collectors.

Place rain barrels under downspouts. (Since this water is acidic, it can be used for your acid loving plants or diluted with our alkaline tap water.

Using low-water-using plants: preferably native plants. Using drip, soaker hose, and hand irrigation:

These methods put water where it's needed, into the soil directly in contrast to sprinkler systems where much water is lost to evaporation and runoff. (Where overhead sprinklers are used, they should be scheduled for the early morning hours, e.g., 3-6 a.m., and only for a long enough duration to irrigate without causing runoff. And if you want to drive me really crazy, water your lawn during or right after a heavy rain. Sprinkler control systems can and should be turned off during the rainy season…if we ever get one of those again.)

A mulch is any material placed on the surface of the soil which helps to retain its moisture. In addition, a mulch suppresses weed growth provides habitat for creepy, crawly things, and, if it's an organic material, its slow decomposition improves soil structure. The leaves and pine needles that fall from our trees are nature's mulch. Other organic mulches include grass clippings, bark chips, wood chips, straw and the compost that can be made from collected organic materials. The city of Los Angeles and some surrounding cities provide free mulch for the taking (check with the City website, Dept of Sanitation in L.A., to get locations). Inorganic mulches are things like rock chips and gravel. A very low-growing ground cover can serve a similar purpose, though obviously requires some watering.

So, which will you be? A water-wise gardener or a water-wasting one?