When it comes to watering your lawn and paying water bills, sound gardening practices can cut down homeowner investments of effort, time and money, reports the American Association of Nurserymen. And, you don’t have to turn your lovely colorful landscape into a rock garden featuring a sprinkling of cactus plants.
This popular approach to water management and water-conserving landscape design has been commonly known as Xeriscaping, and because the term comes from the Greek for “dry” many people assume it describes desert landscapes. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In contrast, the approach focuses on working with nature’s guidelines to create a lush looking landscape. As a matter of fact, “naturescaping” can be another way to describe this water-wise landscape design and management.
Turning your yard and garden into a “naturescape” requires some common sense and planning. That entails choosing the best plants, soils, locations, and irrigation systems for efficient water use. Some of those water-wise plant materials include vibrantly colored perennials and lush varieties of shrubs.
The keys to “naturescaping” involve how, when, and what you water in taking care of your property. Low-volume irrigation systems such as drip-watering devices reduce water use by 50 percent. Early-morning watering cuts down on evaporation.
Water-wise “naturescapes” offer savings. Grouping plants by water requirements is a smart way to guard against overwatering some plants and underwatering others. Save water by replacing leaky parts of irrigation devices and positioning sprinklers to shower areas of vegetation, as opposed to the driveway, garage, or deck.
A constant among guidelines for being water-wise is maintaining the health of your plants. Strong plants don’t need as much water as weak ones do. We have many reports from gardeners that Spray-N-Grow helps their plants withstand drought much better than those not sprayed with Spray-N-Grow. That’s because Spray-N-Grow helps plants develop a better root structure-more roots that are larger and longer. Plants that have a better root structure are more able to “find” any available moisture.
Be sure to add the needed soil amendments and mulch around plants to keep the roots moist. When adding to your landscape, don’t forget to include drought-resistant plants and grasses to those you already have.
Before you begin planning your new “naturescape” or planning how to convert your current landscape into a more water-efficient one, be sure to check with the experts at your retail nursery/garden center. They can offer the most valuable assistance for getting the best results.
One thing you may wish to consider is decking. This provides an excellent area for you and your guests to relax, socialise and party whilst admiring the rest of the garden. Decking is particularly useful when dealing with unlevel areas or parts of your garden that may have previously been unusable. This is because it is built on support posts concreted into the ground and therefore these can be adjusted appropriately to provide you a perfect hard standing and stable area for your garden. You can also use decking to create a designated barbeque, seating or storage area for example. This helps to protect the lawn and also makes the area a little more interesting and attractive.
Creating a rock garden feature can prove to be another great idea that will ensure your garden looks beautiful. Through the use of suitable plants, rocks and gravel, this will assist in the addition of colour and decoration to any garden. You can use a rock garden to create a border between areas of the garden or you may wish to make it into a small feature that is sure to be admired all year round. Rock gardens are also particularly good for drainage.
The soothing sound of running water whilst relaxing in your garden can’t be beaten. Having your very own water featureoffers pure luxury and will prove to be a stunning addition to your garden. Furthermore there are endless design options which means you can create a beautiful water feature that fits perfectly with the rest of the garden. This may include fountains, waterfalls, pools and ponds of any shape or size. A water feature will not only help to produce a serene and attractive setting but also adds dimensions to your garden as typically it will be built up or dug into the ground.
A final addition you may wish to consider is a pergola or arch. These are a very popular choice in modern gardens and create a unique and attractive walkway through the garden. Pergolas and arches can be placed in whatever place best suits within your garden. Climbing plants will help to add even more decoration to the already intricately designed pergolas or arch. They are highly affective when used to separate sections of a garden or you may wish to use them as a particular feature with seating underneath.