Saving water does not have to mean a dull, colorless garden. Here are some tips for an amazingly colorful garden, that is water wise as well.
Saving water in Mediterranean and other dry climate climates is becoming a matter of critical importance for gardeners. It is often thought though, that saving water has to be at the expense of beauty; that water conservation is synonymous with a dull, colorless garden. Admittedly, annual flowers are the largest consumers of water compared to other groups of plants, but color can be attained by using plants that once established, consume about 5 times less water over the year. Too good to be true? Read on.
Saving water does not have to mean a dull, colorless garden. Here are some tips for an amazingly colorful garden, that is water wise as well.
Saving water in Mediterranean and other dry climate climates is becoming a matter of critical importance for gardeners. It is often thought though, that saving water has to be at the expense of beauty; that water conservation is synonymous with a dull, colorless garden. Admittedly, annual flowers are the largest consumers of water compared to other groups of plants, but color can be attained by using plants that once established, consume about 5 times less water over the year. Too good to be true? Read on.
The limiting factor in growing annual flowers in Mediterranean gardens is their high consumption of water. Catharanthus roseus, (Madagascar Periwinkle), can be grown on about a quarter of the water needed by most annuals.
One of the main drawbacks of growing annual flowering plants in Mediterranean and other dry climate regions is their excessive water consumption. Annuals in hot, dry summer areas require water based on at least 6mm a day, which is 6 liters per square meter. Over the year, this can amount to more than a cubic meter of irrigation water for every meter square ? an unviable and unacceptable rate, unless the area planted with annual flowers is reduced to a minimum. Catharanthus roseus however, can be successfully grown, creating a lovely carpet of color, on a third, perhaps a quarter of that amount, thereby saving you much water and expense.
Understanding the design function of landscaping shrubs can help you make wiser choices when planning your garden, or adding some plants to an existing border.
When choosing which shrubs to include in your garden, your starting point may be based on your favorite likes and dislikes. As counter intuitive as it may sound, this approach is mistaken. Instead, you can think like a professional garden designer, by allotting a specific design role to each element in the garden, including the landscape shrubs and bushes.
The gardener in a dry climate where water is at a premium, may look jealously at garden books from wetter climates, and dream of growing acres of lawn. In fact, reducing the amount of lawn invariably leads to better design solutions.
Leafing through a garden design book the other day, I was struck by a curious fact. The book is one of many by John Brookes, the renowned British designer. In virtually every case study presented, the size of the lawn is greatly reduced in comparison to the standard suburban garden most of us would recognize. As there is no indication in the book that Mr. Brookes is relating to water conserving gardening, it is safe to assume that design is his paramount issue of concern.
Oaks should be considered as serious candidates for landscape garden trees. In dry climate gardens, the appropriate species are an essential part of water conserving gardening.
A great oak tree has the power to inspire and move us. You may have seen one in a park, or remember from childhood, a fine old specimen, with its massive branches and gnarled bark, growing in a wood. Yet despite their qualities as excellent landscape trees, homeowners rarely choose an oak for their private garden.
In principle, the best way to save water in dry climate gardens is to reduce the area of grass. Here is a way of saving water in drought years, without killing-off the lawn.
In climates that have long, hot, dry summers, the turf varieties most commonly used are perennial grasses that not only thrive in hot weather, but also develop deep and extensive root systems. These properties can be exploited to reduce water consumption in normal years, and to minimize it during drought years. With the suitable variety and correct irrigation practice, the lawn may look poor under the minimalist regime, but its root system should remain intact, allowing the grass to appear as it should when more water is available in better years.
African daisy plants are not suitable for every location, and may not be to everyone’s taste. In the right place though, they are an important ingredient in dry and Mediterranean gardens.
African daisy is the name commonly used to describe a group of different bedding plants. All come from South Africa, sport a mass of daisy-like flowers (unsurprisingly!), and require similar conditions to grow successfully. Daisy flowers, typical of the Asteraceae botanical family, create a clear mood and design direction. They appear out of place in lush, tropical settings, typified by plants with massive leaves and large garish flowers. They are more suited in my view to the sparser, restrained style of a Mediterranean, dry climate garden.
The term flowerbed usually evokes images of dazzling color. In practice, the flowerbed often ends up as a disappointing eyesore. Here are some thoughts on how best to plan this part of your garden.
There are a number of reasons why perennial bedding plants, as opposed to annual ones, are used in garden designs. Perennials by growing beyond a single season, are thought to demand less care and maintenance than annuals that have to be replaced every few months or so. In dry climate gardens especially, annual flowers consume significantly more water than any other group of plants, requiring at least 1000 liters per square meter a year, in comparison to some perennial species, which can often grow on a third as much water.
In dry climate gardens, a professional irrigation system is a pre-condition for successfully growing the garden plants and managing water responsibly. It also makes good design sense.
Effective irrigation and efficient water management are about supplying suitable quantities of water to the garden plants, at the right intervals. Both these parameters differ in accordance with various groups of plants. Trees and shrubs of tropical origin may thrive on soil conditions that are almost permanently moist, while species from dry climates invariably prefer the soil to dry out somewhat between the waterings. Herbaceous flowering plants need to be watered frequently, while under such a regime, herbs are liable to suffer from a lack of air in the root zone.
