Teri Dunn Chace

Article / Updated 08-03-2023

Simply put, low-water landscaping is all about landscaping with less water. And no matter whether you’re trying to sustain an established yard in a desert-like climate or you’re wishing to make changes while adjusting to a limited or unpredictable water supply, the message is the same: You can do it! Having a beautiful landscape isn’t just nice, it’s also important. The plants in and around the area are more than décor, they’re alive — even in times when water is scarce. We humans are bound in a relationship with plants, not just for the pleasurable beauty or fragrance they may provide as we come and go from our home or hang out in the yard, and not just for the other creatures they help sustain (from pollinators to birds). We’re also elementally bound together by the shared, interdependent, natural cycles of air — the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen — and water, the stuff of life as we know it. When water is rationed or in short supply, when rain is a rare event, when we constantly hear dire stories about falling reservoirs and depleted aquifers, we worry. We should worry. Water is precious and vulnerable to human demands as well as forces that feel beyond our control, like weather patterns and macro-climate change. And yet, having an attractive yard isn’t a foolish wish, nor is it a luxury. Your yard is part of your home and part of the big picture of the larger landscape. Rather than giving up, adapt. Become a good steward. This article gives you a brief overview of what you can do. Find out how to conserve water, how to better deliver it to wisely chosen plants, and how to keep it all healthy and beautiful. Defining Low-Water Landscaping Low-water landscaping is using less water, more efficiently. Sustaining home landscaping on less water isn’t mysterious. Many excellent techniques and ideas come from farming and agriculture. And, of course, research is continuing. Certain water-conserving ideas from agriculture translate well to smaller and more intimate settings, whether you only have a courtyard or balcony, or you’re trying to maintain a half-acre or more around your home. Also other gardeners have developed clever, effective ways to successfully nurture many plants with less water. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. Plenty of trial and error and research, worldwide and over many centuries, has yielded innovative and practical ways to install and care for plants. Here, I begin by taking a closer look at where you can reduce water use and how. Not every suggestion will apply — but many will! Conserving is a matter of examining every opportunity. See where it makes sense to implement There are many places and times where saving water can (and should) be possible. These include the following: Where getting water to your yard and plants is difficult or complex Where the water supply is expensive/where water bills just keep going up and up Where the water source is uncertain: unreliable, depleted, or drying up Where rainfall is unpredictable, sparse, or briefly seasonal Where water rationing is mandated and enforced Where the landscaping you do have is suffering from lack of water When you don’t have time, funds, or the energy to fuss over your yard When you’re ready for a change to more responsible and creative landscaping Why being water-wise is important Global climate-change weather models suggest that severe droughts may not be occasional anomalies to endure but become the norm — sobering news. Therefore confronting the situation and being proactive about your water use is imperative. Should things improve or monsoon rains be generous, well, the good habits and practices you develop ought to stay in place anyway. Wasting water is a careless habit; conserving water shows respect for life itself, starting with the plants and creatures inhabiting your yard and also respect for your neighbors and neighborhood, your municipality, and your bioregion. Leverage your water sources Part of water-wise gardening is gathering all the water you can and sometimes storing it to use with care later — in other words, maximizing your supply. You may be surprised by some of these useful ideas: Start monitoring how much water your garden needs and uses. Install one or more rain barrels. Collect and store water in a cistern or tank. Use gray water. Gray water isn’t all of your household water, but rather the sources of relatively clean consumption, such as sinks, showers, bathtubs, and even the washing machine (not the toilet or utility sink). Some municipalities regulate the use of gray water and, of course, you don’t want to use certain soaps or cleaning agents, which would make the re-used water unsafe or unsuitable for your plants or soil. Route or reroute drainage from your roof. Study and route or reroute drainage out in your yard. Put in a rain garden, a garden area set up in a low area where rain pools or where you can divert your rain gutters. Find out whether your municipality has reclaimed water, which is water that has been treated but isn’t meant for drinking/not potable. They may be using it to irrigate city parks and other public places, but it may also be possible to access it for your personal landscape. For the details on how to implement all of the ideas in this article, check out my book Low-Water Landscaping For Dummies. Eliminate wasteful watering practices A series of seemingly minor changes in your watering habits can help. Here are a few suggestions: Prevent runoff. Don’t overwater, don’t water too long, and help water soak in so plants can use it. It begins with good soil, actually. Create watering basins around individual plants. Create water-need zones by grouping plants with similar needs together so you can water them together. Water when chance of evaporation is lowest. A full explanation and discussion — including myth-busting. Choose watering gear wisely. Replace old-model sprinklers and sprinkler systems with some amazingly efficient new technology. A wide range of items and networks deliver water directly to the roots of your plants (and not to the sidewalk and gutter!). Hold water in the ground around your plants by mulching. It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it’s tremendously effective. Just to get on the Mulch Soapbox for a moment: Anyone can mulch their plants and everyone, especially those needing to conserve water, should! Mulch has profound benefits. Mulch prevents evaporation, which is huge because most plant roots are fairly close to the soil surface. Mulched plants need water less frequently and stay fresh-looking longer after a watering. Mulch also helps keep weeds at bay, and weeds are notorious for stealing water and nutrients from your desired plants. Like to grow and display plants in containers, but you’ve definitely noticed that they’re more water-intensive than plants in the ground? Good news: You can get the needed water to potted plants without waste or worry. Among the options are clever self-watering pots and water-holding crystals added to potting soil. Replace Impractical Plants with Practical Ones If you’re honest with yourself, you already know that your yard — including but not limited to your lawn — has some plants that aren’t doing so well these days. Not enough water is obviously their problem. They’re getting to be too much trouble and expense to maintain. To be blunt, the solution is obvious. Out with the old, in with the new! I want to reassure you that not only can you make changes, but you can also embrace changes by making smart and creative choices that will look great. Keep reading for some general suggestions. Getting rid of your lawn Taking out your grass feels like the end of an era … because it’s the end of an era. Green lawns suck up a lot of resources, mainly water but also fertilizer and perhaps weedkillers (all of which can be harmful to wildlife, your environs, and groundwater) — not to mention all your own effort and sweat in mowing and clipping. And what’s the point if water is limited and no matter how hard you try, it doesn’t look as lush as you want? Completely removing your lawn isn’t as hard as you might think. Lawn grass isn’t deep-rooted, and you can dig it up and peel it away like a thick old carpet. You can also get rid of a lawn by tarping, solarizing the area, or undertaking sheet or “lasagna” mulching. After the deed is done and you’ve removed your grass, you’ll have a clean slate, an area of open space, presumably in full sun and in full view of you and your neighbors. This is a brand-new landscaping opportunity! Yes, look at this transition as pivoting to a new and better way — because it is. While you’re contemplating your next steps, don’t leave bare, exposed ground. Weeds — those hardiest and most resilient of all plants, even in dire drought conditions — will invade. The saying “nature abhors a vacuum” is never truer than when a spot is freshly cleared. Just cover over the area until you’re ready to re-landscape and replant. Consider lawn alternatives You have a lot of options for alternatives, depending on the size of the space, your budget, and your energy. I recommend you do a little (fun and inspiring) research by looking at how others in your neighborhood and region have dealt with lawn replacement. Meanwhile, the following can jump-start your thinking: Put in a native drought-tolerant grass or grass blend. True, your lawn won’t look like a golf green, but it may serve as a pretty and quite water-wise new installation. A plus: These types of grasses look more harmonious and natural, rather than out of place. Consider ornamental grasses. Unlike turf grasses, ornamental grasses are clump-formers, so they tend to be taller and need to be planted more closely if you’re still wanting broad coverage. You can clip or mow to maintain a desired height. Install a meadow. Full disclosure — installing a meadow takes soil preparation, careful selection of a balance of flowering plants and native grasses, and some regular maintenance to keep it looking nice. It’s gardening; you can’t just sprinkle a can of meadow mix and be done. However, the results can be gorgeous and gratifying, and the area definitely will consume very little water once established. Some municipalities and homeowner associations are still reluctant to allow or approve of meadow gardens, particularly in front yards or areas clearly visible from the street. Put in a groundcover. Plenty of plants certainly can fill in and cover up a broad area and look terrific. Some introduce different shades of green and other colors (and/or seasonal color changes, which can be lovely) to your home landscape. And, don’t be succulents-averse. There are more options than you may realize, and mixing and matching can also supply impressive, beautiful, and effective coverage.

Article / Updated 04-27-2023

If you're trying to conserve water for your yard and garden, it's worth looking into the various ways you can grab and save this precious resource — thereby not having to turn on the house spigot. Water collection is easy, convenient, affordable … and smart. The two main options are rain barrels and cisterns. You may hear these projects referred to as rainwater harvesting. The main source of water is rainwater routed from your home’s gutter system, so you want good gutter coverage of your rooflines, complete with screens or filters. Make a practice of cleaning out the gutters yearly, ideally in a dry season (because it’s easier). Other possible sources include runoff from other impervious hardscape in your home landscape, such as an elevated patio or deck where you can route and collect that runoff. Before proceeding, find out if the government in your area has limitations — that is, limits on how much water you can collect from your own home and landscape. Colorado’s regulations are a case in point. Presently, most homeowners in that state are limited to a maximum of two rain barrels with a combined maximum storage capacity of 110 gallons. Permitting may apply. You might want to check whether there are local tax incentives, rebates, or discounted equipment suppliers. Many municipalities offer incentives to encourage water conservation and stormwater control in their communities. Rain barrels Not all rain barrels are created equal — they’re usually made of some kind of heavy-duty plastic; some are larger, some are smaller. Colors and styles, as well as capacity, varies. Household barrels are typically 50 gallons (though larger ones are available). They range in price from about $100 to $400. Look around at what your neighbors are using and shop around locally and online to locate the many choices. You get what you pay for. The best rain barrels are made of UV-resistant resin, with seamless rotational molding and spin weld fittings. They aren’t cheap, but they’re long-lasting and work beautifully. You can also make your own rain barrel. Use a large, clean, sturdy plastic barrel and install a lid (with an opening for the incoming gutter water) and spigot. Heed the following information — features that good, purchased rain barrels should also have. Figure 2-2 shows a good example of a rain barrel. Unless your area is fortunate enough to receive regular rainfall (uncertain or unlikely, to be honest, for most households in water-scarce areas), rainwater collection isn’t a dependable or year-round source of water for your home landscape. Consider it supplemental and, of course, make the most of it. Recycled barrels may be tempting, but you must find out what the original use was; solvents, oils, and farm chemicals are all no-nos. Old garbage cans may be leaky or not strong enough to support a full volume of water without buckling. Seeking certain features Rain barrels work best when they have the following practical features: A sealable lid: A securely fitted lid keeps out debris, bugs (including mosquito larvae, definitely unwelcome), and animals (including birds and snakes). Screening may not be sufficient because pollen and dust can still get through (and if the water will be directed into an irrigation system, tiny materials like those items can clog emitters). Use a solid lid such as a board, piece of metal, or plastic. A good, non-flimsy, secured cover is also a safety matter, if you have a curious outdoor cat on the premises or small children playing outdoors. Outlet spigot: It needs to sit low-down on the side of the barrel. Otherwise water sits below it and becomes stagnant. Overflow pipe: When a barrel gets really full, it will overflow. A pipe inserted near the top can carry off excess water — it should be long enough to be routed to a nearby plant or bed. Thus no water is lost or wasted! Sturdy construction and fittings: These prevent leaks. Some store-bought ones come with a flat side/flat back, making it easier to wedge against a wall of your house — a nice option. Installing your rain barrel When you install your rain barrel, remember these pointers: Place your rain barrel on an ample and level spot, ideally a concrete pad or pavers. If you can elevate it, gravity will help with water pressure. (However, not too high — you don’t want it to topple.) Site it in a spot that’s handy to your garden and plants. Make sure the spot is comfortable and accessible for you (checking on it, hooking up a hose, filling a watering can, and occasionally cleaning it). Route a downspout or downspouts into it; add a filter/filters if there’s the potential for lots of debris. Consider multiple barrels because if all downspouts lead to just one barrel you have the potential for overflow/wasted water. Using the water from your rain barrel When you’re ready to use the water in your barrel in your yard, keep the following in mind: You can hook up a hose to the spigot. You can simply fill a watering can at the spigot and make repeated trips into the garden or to your potted plant collection. You can even hook up an inground irrigation system to it Don’t hook up a soaker hose to a rain barrel’s spigot. There isn’t enough water pressure for the soaker hose to operate effectively, particularly at its farthest reaches. Maintaining your rain barrel Clean out your rain barrel and perhaps replace the spigot, and any filters, once or twice a year. Otherwise silt may build up in the bottom, and/or the interior may get a stinky film. If your winters have freezing weather, completely empty the barrel beforehand. Freezing water in a spigot can ruin it, and residual water in a frozen barrel expands and can damage it. Store it in a garage, shed, or barn over the winter months. Water that runs off your roof, into your gutters, and then into your rain barrel is untreated and may pick up chemicals and debris from your roofing material. It may also be contaminated by anything from bird droppings to microbes, or contain impurities absorbed from the air, such as arsenic and mercury. Even if you have filters in place or flush off the first few collected gallons, don’t drink it. Only use this water on your plants and lawn! Supplemental water for your rain barrel What if there’s a period of no rain? Your rain barrel stands empty and unused, which is unfortunate. You can supply it with household water, then. Collect kitchen-sink water, veggie-rinsing water, bathtub/shower water, even dehumidifier water. Avoid water that has particles in it or soaps that may contain microbeads. Use pitchers or buckets in the house, and once they’re full, make a delivery to the rain barrel, replacing the lid afterward. Cisterns and tanks Cisterns are large tanks for storing as much as 20,000 gallons (75,708 liters) of water. Many farmers and market gardeners, as well as public parks and gardens, use such things, but residential homeowners can use cisterns to stockpile water for later use, too. A homeowner-size cistern is about 10 feet by 20 feet and 3 feet deep (3 x 6.1 and 0.9 m), with a capacity of around 4,000 gallons (15,141 liters). Check with your local authorities to see if cistern use is permitted or regulated in any way. Areas with severe water restrictions ban these. If you do get the green light, new challenges lie ahead, including location, materials, cost, delivery, and setup. You also want to consider how you can protect it from heat and sun (overheated water or algae growth being the problems) and what types of filters and pumps to use, if any. If you’re determined to proceed, consult the supplier — whether a home-improvement store or an ag-supply outlet. Other ideas Water directed from downspouts from your roof, or an upper deck or balcony area, and routed directly into your garden can bring needed water to your plants — assuming it rains. Although this isn’t a viable year-round watering strategy, it’s safe and legal. You may want to consider a rain garden. Chapter 16 discusses rain gardens in greater detail. Another option is a relatively new technology called rain walls. They’re basically slender vertical water-storage tanks, made of strong, UV-stabilized, food-grade plastic. Pioneered in Australia, they come in building blocks, so they're stackable or can be set up as interlocking forms. You can fit one or more into a very narrow side yard, for example, or make a fence or wall out of several or many. Installation is straightforward. One example of these is Rainwater Hog. Is using gray water a good idea? Gray water (sometimes spelled “grey”) may be another source of water you can collect and give to your landscape plants. Gray water is water from inside your home, basically anything but toilet-flushed water bound for the sewer or septic tank. Also avoid collecting utility-sink water. Gray water is wastewater from household sinks, showers and tubs, and laundry. Utilizing it is, indeed, water-wise. You’ve paid for it once if you get your water from your municipality, yet you’re using it twice (for those with well water, similar point: you’re using it twice). Thus you’re conserving water and conserving energy. By not sending this wastewater into the sewer or your septic tank, you’re lightening their load, too. There may be incentives to use it, or there may be restrictions. Check your city, county, or state websites and/or confirm with phone calls before proceeding. Here are the best ways to get it into your garden, where it’s needed: Collect in buckets and pitchers. Leave them in the tub and sinks at all times so everyone in the household gets in the habit of dumping gray water in them. Route directly. An outflow pipe from the kitchen sink or washing machine goes straight out to the yard. An on-off valve is a good idea, for those days when you run three loads of wash, which may be too much water for your plants, especially if you’re growing drought-tolerant natives. Rig an irrigation system, complete with storage tank, filters, and outgoing lines. This sort of thing takes some expertise, and some municipalities don’t allow DIY installations; you must hire a trained and licensed professional to install it. Because people use soap products in all of these areas, and some soaps are harmful to the environment (to soils, to plants, and to groundwater), find out what’s allowed and what’s best. Basically, you want to favor soap products that don’t contain microbeads, phosphates, salts, boron, or oils. You may have to change brands in order to collect maximum gray water. Also, use common sense: don’t reuse household water that contains bleach or cleaning products, or laundry water that rinsed diapers or a mechanic’s work clothes. Out of an abundance of caution, don’t use gray water on certain plants, including anything you’ll eat — for example, salad greens and melons. However, watering tomato and pepper plants, berry plants, and trees (including fruit and nut trees) with gray water is considered okay.

Article / Updated 04-26-2023

A popular alternative to a traditional, water-sucking lawn is a meadow or, more properly, a meadow bed. These plantings use native grasses and prairie-type plants or native flowers, both annual and perennial. Certain wildflower (pre-made) mixes composed of low-growing plants can also be used for meadowlike lawns. Meadow lawns are less formal-looking than most grass lawns but can be walked on or played on and have a wild beauty all their own. Make no mistake: A meadow garden is still gardening. You can’t just sow or plant meadow flowers and grasses, and then walk away and expect the results to prosper or stay looking the same. But doing this in your yard is no more difficult than installing and caring for other planting projects. The following sections explain how to make your meadow dreams come true. A compelling reason to do this is to create habitat for and offer sanctuary to pollinators, birds, and other ecosystem inhabitants. If someone else a street over has a meadow area in their yard, stop by, ask for a tour, and learn from their experiences! But what will the neighbors think? Despite their benefits and potential beauty, meadow gardens and beds remain controversial in some communities. To the untrained eye or the eye accustomed to traditional lawn grass or even beds of gravel punctuated by succulents, these plantings aren’t welcome. This prejudice isn’t totally unfair. A meadow area that isn’t matured (maybe its second year will be a peak show) or one that isn’t well-maintained can indeed look like a jumble of weeds. Meadows may be prohibited or frowned upon in densely populated neighborhoods. In planned communities with a homeowners association (HOA), they may be outright banned or at least regulated. Find out whether your area allows meadow gardens. You’ve probably heard stories of defiant or distressed meadow gardeners being fined or forced to mow it all down. Sometimes they’re prohibited in the front yard, and you can shift your plans to another part of your property. Certainly you ought to be able to landscape however you please in the back or along the sides of your home. Assuming you get the green light and go ahead with the project, take good care of the area. Let your neighbors see you out there — that will help them understand it’s a tended garden space, not a weed patch! Getting started on your meadow area When you’re ready to begin, attend to these practical measures: Pick a spot. Full sun and out in the open tends to be ideal. Repurpose some or all of your former lawn area, dress up a curb strip, or create a border along a driveway or walkway or along the front of your house. Define the area. If your meadow garden has boundaries — edgings of stones, wood, fencing of some kind, even a buffer like a gravel moat — the whole thing looks tidier and planned, and skeptics will better receive it. Defining the area also makes the project more manageable for you. Put up an attractive and informative sign. Order a customized one on Etsy, saying something like “Teri’s Meadow, Butterflies Welcome!,” “Mi Pequeño Prado,” “Habitat Restoration Project,” “Pollinator-Friendly Garden,” or “Low-Water Wildflowers.” Do your homework. Read and ponder this section’s basic information. Visit nurseries and do some research online about meadow plants and design approaches. Figure out approximately how many plants you’ll need. The first step is measuring the site and calculating the area (length x width). Maybe make a sketch. Because you want thicker growth in a meadow scheme, plan for plants to be installed close together. Knowing their projected size will guide you. Alternatively, armed with the site dimensions, go to the nursery and enlist the help of a staffer. You can always add more plants if you didn’t buy enough on the first trip! Preparing the site and soil A meadow area or bed is a gardening project, not a toss-in-the-plants-and-go affair. Get the spot ready beforehand to boost success by doing the following: Evict weeds. Weeds are aggressors and can overwhelm and shade out little growing meadow plants. Remove them by the roots whenever possible. You might not get all of them but give this a good effort — you’ll save annoyance and work down the line. If the area is full of weeds now or in the recent past, hit the pause button and beat back the problem first. Don’t till, which brings both weed seeds and plant and root fragments to the surface where they can germinate and grow. You have options: Tarp or solarize the area. Let a crop of weeds germinate, then mow them down (many are annuals and won’t get tall enough to reseed; you’re basically outsmarting them with this method!). Consider some soil improvement. Even when you intend to install lots of native plants, the native soil in your yard may not be welcoming to seeds or seedlings. Low-water plants do need some tough love (that is, you don’t want to pamper them with rich soil that leads to lush — and thirsty — growth), but a little soil improvement won’t hurt in this case, particularly if your soil is poor or gritty. Improve it before planting anything by digging in organic matter such as compost, bagged dehydrated cow manure, and/or good topsoil. Install a watering system or have a watering plan. Among your options are in-ground irrigation, soaker hoses, and watering gadgets. Your water needs will be dictated by what sorts of plants you choose — really drought-tolerant plants won’t require much. But, as ever, seeds and baby plants always do. So have a plan. Protect the prepared spot. A cleared area, with or without some soil improvement, is an open invitation to opportunistic weeds. They can come in from seemingly nowhere, on a breeze, or from under the ground if you missed root fragments. Even if the gap between getting the spot ready and planting time is only a couple of days, cover it! Tarp it, cover it with black plastic, spread flattened cardboard or old carpets over the area, whatever it takes. Anchor the edges. Don’t remove the cover until planting day. Choosing appropriate plants Picking plants for your meadow display is fun. Your best bet is to pay a visit to a nursery that specializes in pot-grown native and meadow plants so the staff can advise you and answer your questions. Otherwise, nose around a more-general nursery and look for ideas. Local and regional plants are well-adapted and also offer food and shelter to area pollinators. Planting these boosts two goals: adding garden beauty and nurturing the environment. Here are my best shopping tips: Be selective. Choose wildflowers and native grasses. Planting a variety assures that you’ll always be something to admire. Aim for balance to get a more natural-looking meadow. Pick some grasses and some perennial and annual blooming flowers. (Time and experience will help you hone the look as you discover if your plans worked or need to be tweaked from one year to the next.) Don’t be a purist. When you go shopping, you’ll see cultivars or nativars, which are cultivated varieties of native plants. They’re variations and improvements on the original species — either spotted by a savvy horticulturist or developed at a nursery. Their growth habit may be shorter and less rangy, or their flower size may be larger and/or flower production is higher. Color variations are available. For example, purple coneflowers now come in a rainbow of bright colors, including orange, magenta, red, and yellow. Some plants aren’t native nor descended from natives (instead they’re from other low-water parts of the world), and yet they deliver the color and exuberant look you wish for, so go for it! Add some cosmos, zinnias, and different kinds of poppies to your meadow display. The goal is to have lots of pretty flowers tossing in a light breeze. Keeping your meadow looking nice Water is a need in the early days, but over time, your meadow planting will become more self-sufficient. Still, here are things you can and should do to keep it attractive: Mulch it. As with all new plantings, mulch is key. It helps hold in critical soil moisture to help sustain young plants and helps keep out encroaching weeds. Lay down an inch or more, and if possible, maintain/replenish the mulch layer, at least until the meadow plants get taller, growing thickly enough to manage these matters for themselves. Maintain it. Pass through and groom your meadow, even if doing so feels like busywork (many meadow plants are low-care, but you want to let your neighbors see you working in the meadow area). You can trim off spent flowers, remove excessive or spent growth, and cut back stems or branches that are crowding out other plants or pushing the boundaries of the area. Mowing at season’s end might be a good idea. Assess balance. The prettiest meadows in nature have both grasses and flowers. Although the look you wish is up to you, an equal amount at any given time looks nice. Grasses carry on most of the year (and may even bloom, though their flower spikes arguably aren’t as showy or colorful as their companions) but flowers come and go. The look can change dramatically from one season to the next, and definitely from one year to the next — simply because some plants are stronger growers. Intervene to edit — trim or take out plants — when you feel the balance is off or when you notice some of the plants becoming too dominant. For the first year, observe which flowers do best for you. Plan to reseed more of them in subsequent years, especially near to each other so you create little islands of each variety. This action actually mimics the way natural meadows look and will be more stable as the years go by.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-08-2022

Putting together your perfect landscape starts with making a wish list customized to your needs, planning out your landscaping, and purchasing plants best suited for your landscape plan and hardiness zone. This Cheat Sheet can help you keep track of these details.