community | NORTH TEXAS GARDENING

   Watering wisely

   Follow these principles to help choose the right plants

 

  

 

CARRIE DUBBERLEY

           Contributor

carrie@dubberleylandscapes.com

  www.dubberleylandscape.com

          972-618-6177

Editor’s note: This column is part of a 13-week series on North Texas landscaping and gardening.

 

Most of Texas once again is suffering from a severe drought, making water conservation principles more important than ever. But you can save water, time and money by following the seven time tested principles of Xeriscaping — coined by the Denver Water Utilities in 1981 and more recently by Earth-Kind Landscaping from Texas AgriLife.

                The steps include planning and design, soil analysis, practical turf areas, appropriate plant selection, efficient irrigation, use of mulches and appropriate maintenance.

                These principles will help you in the long run by teaching you to choose the right plant for the right place, and then watering them correctly. Also, rainwater harvesting and rain gardens will allow you to capture rainwater from your roofs. This means free water for your garden — without the chemicals.

                Of all these subjects, understanding your soil and irrigation can save you the most money and gallons of water.  Know this: most people overwater. It is bad for your landscape, a drain on our water supply and detrimental to the environment.  Watering correctly once a week during a drought will not be a problem for your landscape if you follow these principles.

                Do you know whether you have heavy clay soil or light sandy loam?  Each has individual needs, and knowing the difference often leads to success or failure. By using a moisture meter or a soil probe when in doubt, you will know whether to turn on my irrigation system or not. 

                By being a responsible citizen, we can help our municipalities to conserve our precise and scarce water resources

 

                To learn more about these principles, sign up for a class I teach at Collin College called Sustainable Landscapes.

 

 

Carrie Dubberley of Plano teaches landscaping at the Collin College continuing education program and is founder and president of Dubberley Landscapes, Inc.