July is Smart Irrigation Month

All kinds of ideas for saving water abound across the internet this month. Most of the water saving ideas for irrigation are directed to the homeowner with manicured lawns. Suggestions include:

· Setting your automatic sprinkler system to come on early in the morning so that water isn’t lost through evaporation.

· Installing a rain shut off switch so that it doesn’t automatically come on, even if it’s raining.

· Setting up zones in your system so that only areas that need extra water get it, not the entire lawn.

· Regular inspection of the system to make sure there are no leaks.

· Adjustment of the sprinkler heads so that water goes where it’s needed and not lost to driveways and sidewalks.

· Adding drip irrigation to flowerbeds and trees.

· Water only when needed.

But, what about the rest of us, those without fancy lawn sprinkler systems? You can pull out the garden hoses and hook up a water sprinkler. You can stand outside with a sprayer on the end of a hose.

Ultimately, all of these options use a precious resource simply to perpetuate the American dream lawn, massive expanses of manicured green grass.

Why not xeriscape? Xeriscaping is landscaping that doesn’t require extra irrigation over what Mother Nature supplies naturally. It’s great for places that don’t have a lot of fresh water, and is becoming quite popular across the US as people search for ways to save water. The root of Xeriscape comes from the Greek word for dry, xeros.

You can start a xeriscaped yard by utilizing plants that are native to your region. Create lawn areas only where it’s needed, such as the kids play area. You can create large flower beds around the rest of the space and use plants that are more water efficient.

You’ve probably seen a few yards filled with native grasses, and while they typically aren’t the lush deep thick green of a manicured lawn, they will use far less water than those sculpted lawns. As we begin to loose natural water resources, and cities start rationing water, we need to begin to think about a different approach to our lawns. Planting drought tolerant grasses and native plants will go a long way to help achieving our goals to conserve water.