Garden Water Conservation Tips
I'm an avid gardener from the southeast region of the USA. Last year, due to lack of rain, my area experienced a serious drought and my garden suffered miserably. Although my particular area is now showing signs of recovery, there is no guarantee that we won't have a repeat of last year's situation. That's why I've been studying how to conserve water in the garden.
This page contains the best water conservation tips that I've found to date.
Watering the Garden photo appears courtesy of MarkHillary
Water Conservation in the Garden
How to conserve water in your garden
Before you decide where and what to plant this year, spend a little time thinking about your own watering system. What is your primary source for watering your garden and yard? Is it a single hose attached to the side of your garage? Do you have in-ground sprinklers? Will you need to trek back and forth with a watering can?
And how much time do you have to spend on this chore? Are you home all day? Can you spend hours watering your garden or are you like most people whose gardening time is limited to a few hours on the weekend?
Being water wise before you plant can save you money, time and a lot of unnecessary effort.
Watering the Garden photo appears courtesy of MarkHillary
Water Wisely
Water Conservation Quick Poll
Every Drop is Precious
Smart Garden Planning
Plan Ahead to Save Water
When choosing your garden plants, and a site for your garden, be sure to take into consideration the amount of water they will need in order to remain vigorous.
Try to keep water loving plants together and close to your main source of water.
Place drought tolerant plants in south-facing areas, and in places that are harder to reach with your hose.
Study your landscape after it rains. Where are the high spots? High spots will dry quickly. Choose these locations for your plants that don't require as much water. Watch for puddling in low lying areas. Place your water loving plants in these locations.
Save the Water photo appears courtesy of JimmyHarris
Plant Drought Resistant Plants
Gorgeous Gardens Without the Watering Fuss
Moonbeam Coreopsis Perennial Plant - Drought Resistant
Hardy zone: 4-9
Blooming Time: June-August
Height: 18"/46cm
Family: Asteraceae
Origin: The species is native to the eastern United States.
Amazon Price: $3.99 (as of 11/28/2009) 
Golden Spirit Smoke Tree Five Gallon Plant
Shipped as a potted five gallon tree in its original soil and container.
Golden Spirit Smoke tree offers bold foliage and unique textural effects making this plant a landscaper's delight. Vivid lime green spring foliage brightens to golden yellow in summer
Bursts into a rainbow of brilliant orange, red and coral for fall spectacular. Unique haze of abundant flower plumes in late summer are suitable for cutting. Widely adaptable, drought resistant upright shrub or small tree.
Deciduous. Full sun ensures best color. Vigorous growth to 7 feet tall and 6 feet wide or clip to shape. Use in shrub borders for late season interest. Hardy to USDA zone 4 and all higher zones.
Provide unique effects against evergreens and perennials in mixed beds. A fine foundation plant to highlight important points in the architecture, entries and windows. Excellent choice for adding background interest to fountains and water gardens.
Amazon Price: $94.98 (as of 11/28/2009)
Save Every Drop
Drought Tolerant Chocolate Daisies
Use Water Efficiently
Water Wisely
If you are lucky enough to have a pop-up sprinkler system, be sure to plant your garden within its parameters and adjust it as weather demands.
If you don't have a pop-up sprinkler system, you can purchase an inexpensive drip hose and wind it around, and through, your garden. A drip hose works well to save time and water because it places the water right where you need it with very little wasted by evaporation.
Keeping a bucket under a leaky outdoor faucet, or gutter, is another way to save water that can be used for watering your container plants.
Water Droplet photo appears courtesy of Discoodoni
Try a Rain Barrel
Achla Model RB-01 Rain Catcher Water Barrel with 54 Gallon Capacity
Amazon Price: $117.44 (as of 11/28/2009)
How to Make a Rain Barrel
- How To Make A Rainbarrel
- How To Make A Rain Barrel
Know Your Soil
Amend your soil to save water
Amending the soil according to watering conditions can help you conserve water.
When planting your garden in dry or sandy areas, be sure to add some organic matter to the soil to help maintain moistness. Building water basins, or berms around your plants will help them absorb more water, without wasting too.
A top layer of mulch will seal the deal and insure that your plants can make the most of your watering efforts.
Drops of Life photo appears courtesy of banoootah_qtr
Use Moisture Control Potting Soil When Container Gardening
I've noticed a big increase in my floral displays when using this product also.
MG 16QT Moist CNTRL Mix
Amazon Price: $7.67 (as of 11/28/2009)
Holds excess water and releases it to the plant gradually
Takes the guess work out of watering
Formulated with AquaCoir, a unique combination of Canadian Spagnum peat moss, Coir (coconut fibers)
Bagged
Don't Waste Water
Other Ways to Conserve Water Consumption
Your precious garden plants shouldn't have to fight it out with the dandelions in order to get the amount of water they need to survive. Besides why would you want to waste water on unwanted, and unwelcome guests. Pluck any and all weeds before they get big enough to do damage.
Don't fertilize your plants during dry spells. It's unnecessary and will do them more harm than good.
By planning and planting your garden with your watering system in mind you'll not only be doing your part to conserve water, you'll be saving yourself a lot of money and best of all, you'll be saving yourself a lot of time. What could be better than that?
Every Drop Counts photo appears courtesy of Axel Buhrmann
Every Drop Counts
Drought Resistant Pomegranate Tree
Wonderful Pomegranate Five Gallon Tree
Amazon Price: $64.98 (as of 11/28/2009)
Shipped as a potted five gallon plant, not bare root.
Useful as landscape plant as well as for fruit. Grows well in alkaline soil.
Extra large fruit. Flesh rich, red color, juicy, with sharp flavor.
Needs sun for best flowers and fruit. Drought tolerant.
Cold hardy. Will freeze to roots at 0's and recover. Ripens Sept.
Find More Information About Water Conservation
Water Consciousness
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 11/28/2009)
Handbook of Water Use and Conservation: Homes, Landscapes, Industries, Businesses, Farms
Amazon Price: $99.95 (as of 11/28/2009)
Water: Use Less-Save More: 100 Water-Saving Tips for the Home (The Chelsea Green Guides)
Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 11/28/2009)
Soil and Water Conservation for Productivity and Environmental Protection (4th Edition)
Amazon Price: $53.95 (as of 11/28/2009)
Saving Water (Help the Environment)
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 11/28/2009)
Are You Doing Everything You Can to Save Water?
How Do You Conserve Water While Gardening?
Please share, or vote for your favorite gardening water conservation tip.
1
I never water during the hottest time of day.
Watering your garden in the blaring sun makes no s more...0 points
2
I use a rain barrel.
0 points
3
I only plant drought resistant plants.
0 points
100 Ways to Save Water
- Water - Use It Wisely-Northwest
- National water conservation campaign with water saving devices and tips that educate consumers on simple ways to save water.
- Water - Use It Wisely-Southwest
- National water conservation campaign with water saving devices and tips that educate consumers on simple ways to save water.
- Water - Use It Wisely-Northeast
- National water conservation campaign with water saving devices and tips that educate consumers on simple ways to save water.
- Water - Use It Wisely-Southeast
- National water conservation campaign with water saving devices and tips that educate consumers on simple ways to save water.
Drought Tolerant Fruiting Olive Tree
Fruiting Olive - One Gallon
Amazon Price: $32.98 (as of 11/28/2009)
Grow your own olives!
Heat, sun, and drought tolerant.
Easily clipped to any shape.
Great in containers.
Shipped as a potted one gallon tree in its original soil and container.
Let eBay Help you Conserve Water in your Garden
Take a look at the great water conservation products that are available at ebay right now.
Clicking on a product will bring you directly to the eay site where you can bid and buy with confidence.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Recommended Garden Shopping Sites
Water Conservation Conversation
(Try saying that 3 times fast)
Join the discussion about saving water in the garden. Please leave your thoughts, feelings, rants, or raves here.
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Reply
- HorseAndPony HorseAndPony Nov 4, 2009 @ 9:56 pm
- Love this. We are so into conserving water in the garden. We actually only water if we recently planted. Everything in our yard is just very natural.
One woman's weeds are another woman's flowers.
~ HorseAndPony
:)
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Reply
- Rebecca Rebecca Apr 2, 2009 @ 4:47 pm
- Save rain water and save money by making your own catchment system. Pictorial construction guide, calculator, safety issues and more on my non-commercial website: How to Construct a Rain Barrel
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Reply
- windowbox windowbox Jan 20, 2009 @ 3:34 am
- Great Lens.. abt gardening but people who do not have such space at there home can move to container gardening by using containers like Flower Window Boxes, Window Box Planter, Window Box
Planter and all of these will bring enormous beauty for your house%u2026
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- LisaLogan LisaLogan May 2, 2008 @ 11:21 pm
- Great lens! 5 stars. My top garden water tips are to choose native plant varieties, use square foot and intensive planting methods, install drip irrigation, and get rid of the Great American Lawn. Thanks for posting this.
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- EchoTarpeian EchoTarpeian May 1, 2008 @ 6:46 am
- Nice Lens and Great Topic:) I am featuring this Lens in our group, Planet Earth: Our Garden of Eden... thanks for joining!
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- totalhealth totalhealth Apr 24, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
- nice lens and good tips.
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- mulberry mulberry Apr 22, 2008 @ 8:07 am
- Another very nice lens, good info especially this time of year.
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- BradKamer BradKamer Apr 21, 2008 @ 10:08 pm
- Great Lens and conservation tips. I am thinking about purchasing or making a rain barrel to irrigate my vegetable garden.
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- JaguarJulie JaguarJulie Apr 18, 2008 @ 5:04 pm
- Love your lens! Now that the orange area for Contents/explore has been changed to blue, it compliments this lens quite nicely! One of my favorite pics on this page is the B&W 'Don't Waste Water' -- reminds me of the actual polaroids we took eons ago!
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- bdkz bdkz Apr 18, 2008 @ 2:37 pm
- Very cool lens...love the colors, you've got my blessing!
by rms
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