Water
Go the Extra Mile - Landscaping Wisely
According to
Tampa.gov, irrigation is 47% of an average school’s water use. This is especially true for schools in drier parts of the country. Therefore, doesn’t it make sense for your school grounds to be appropriately designed so that they’re not sapping your local water supply or your water bill? Sometimes
financial incentives are available from your utility or local government for transforming your landscape.
A properly designed landscape includes efficient watering systems and schedules, regionally-appropriate plants, and other
xeriscape characteristics.
Planting responsibly and xeriscaping
Let’s start with the basics. First, familiarize yourself with the principles of xeriscape design explained
here by Water Use it Wisely. This includes things like
effective planning,
soil improvement,
mulch, and
plants that don’t require significantly more water than your region provides. Another great resource for planning a xeriscape is H2ouse.org’s
garden page and
lawn page.
When it comes to finding regionally-appropriate plants, there are many technical sites out there that list xeriscape plants, but a good one to just browse is
High Country Gardens where you can look through
xeriscape perennials, find
appropriate grasses for your region, and even
appropriate shrubs. Water Use it Wisely also has a great
plant list where you can search by region. They also offer
tips on how to use the right plants.
If you want more thorough guides on the topic, check out Xeriscape Council of New Mexico’s
References & Readings List.
If your school is in the southwest and you want to check out an example of a successful xeriscape, then the Xeriscape Council has listed
these places you can visit with a little description of each.
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For even more tips on planting a low-water use landscape, check out the Department of Agriculture’s water conservation site
or H2ouse.org’s page of recommendations!
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Watering responsibly
So, you’ve already converted to a xeriscape or you can’t convince your school to make the transformation right now. Here’s how you can make sure you’re at least making the best use of your water…
First, learn about efficient irrigation methods
here.
Then, make sure you’re using
appropriate maintenance techniques.
There are also a number of little things you can do to make your water go the extra mile. For example,
Water Use it Wisely
advises you to spread organic mulch around your plants so that the water you do add can be retained more effectively.
The Department of Agriculture
,
H2ouse.org, and
Water Use it Wisely offer more tips. Water Use it Wisely also describes some unique
outdoor water-saving tools
that may come in handy.