It doesn’t matter the season, people in America use a good portion of their water supply maintaining their plants and trees. While the health of trees and plants in a landscape design is vital to the beauty of a home, it does place a strain on water supplies, locally and worldwide. This post offers some great tips for conserving water while maintaining the beautiful plants and trees in your landscape.

Finding The Best Irrigation Method

Americans typically use one of the following three methods of irrigation: drip irrigation, hand watering, and sprinklers, with sprinklers being the most common irrigation method used. However, it is crucial to consider the needs of your landscape and reducing water usage when choosing the best irrigation method for you.

While sprinklers can save time and are inexpensive to purchase, they do waste a lot of water because they spray water at the leaves instead of the roots. This means most of the water isn’t absorbed as the water on the leaves evaporates. By hand watering, you deliver water to the exact area needed and you can monitor the moisture before watering, allowing you to reduce the amount of water used. Unfortunately, with a large landscape, hand watering is labor intensive and time consuming.

You can target your water delivery with drip irrigation, although not as accurately as with hand watering. However, drip irrigation saves time as it effectively delivers water to your plants, but it is the most expensive option.

Watering For Best Results

You should water your plants at their roots for best results. Watering the leaves not only wastes water that will just eventually evaporate, it can lead to a number of fungal diseases. If you can’t keep water at the roots of your plants because of runoff, consider repositioning your plant, analyzing whether it has enough soil around the base, or whether it might be too close to paved areas. If runoff remains a problem, apply water in short cycles, giving your plants time in between to absorb the water before watering again.

In addition, look at the soil around your plants, considering whether it is indigenous to your area. Clay is slow to absorb water, but it retains more water. Sandy soil takes in water quickly, but it dries out and erodes easily, making it a bad choice for water conservation. You can add organic matter to your soil to improve its ability to hold water. Shade trees and mulch help as well because they halt evaporation and prevent weeds from growing in your landscape design.

When To Water

You can conserve a huge amount of water simply by watering at the right time of day. Watering in the early morning or in the late evening at dusk or after sundown will work to reduce the amount of evaporation that occurs when watering during the day from 10AM to 6PM. Consider whether you really need to water on windy days as water loss increases with higher winds. By monitoring the weather and resetting timers, you can also conserve water. A rain gauge helps in deciding how much water your plants might need, whether for arid Albuquerque, New Mexico, landscaping or a milder Minneapolis landscape.

From Oregon to Virginia and Florida to Minnesota landscape design, all areas of the country can benefit from these simple tips that will help reduce the water used while not sacrificing the beauty of your landscaping.

1. A project can often seem overwhelming. You see your landscape everyday, you know that there is something wrong but don’t know how to address it. You see the plants and turf struggling, you know there is a low spot where all the water pools, yet how do you fix it? That is where a landscape designer comes in. We can look at all the problem areas in your space and come up with a plan that addresses them as a whole, not just a band-aid that covers them up for awhile. We can help to create a plan that not only fixes most landscape problems but enhances your space to be functional and beautiful. We take the time to discuss with you your goals, likes, dislikes, and concerns for your landscape.

2. Materials can be a challenge. There is an abundance of styles, colors, and specific applications one needs to understand when choosing hardscape materials. A landscape designer can help in this process. We can choose materials that will specifically work in any given scenario they would be needed. A designer can also choose colors and combinations of materials that will work well together and have a more unified, pleasing look.

3. Plant material can also be a challenge for most homeowners. There are so many plants to choose from and each has specific light, soil, and water requirements. Not to mention each plant has its own growth pattern to take into account. How many times have you been to a nursery or home improvement store and bought a plant that wound up being to large for the space? Hiring a landscape designer can help you choose the right plants for your space. We have extensive working knowledge of plant material. We can assess your landscape and effectively determine which plants would be best suited for your landscape needs. Landscape designers also have the knowledge to combine plant material and hardscapes to create a beautiful more natural looking landscape.

4. Planning is the most crucial stage of any landscape project. There are often many different elements and factors that come into play when creating a new landscape. If your project is a small entry way enhancement or a large pond installation, designers can help facilitate all the planning effectively. It starts with precise measurements of the space and determining which materials will produce the look and feel the client desires. It then moves into planning materials, plants, calculating material needs, ordering, and installing. Not to mention that we have expert installers that help make the design a reality in an efficient amount of time, allowing homeowners to enjoy there new space sooner. A good plan helps the customer know exactly what they are getting and exactly what they are paying for.

5. Budgets and estimates. Many homeowners can feel overwhelmed with the size and scope of landscape projects especially financially. Typically a homeowner will have a set budget in mind for a specific landscape project. If a proper plan is not in place too often that budget is exceeded. A landscape designer discusses all aspects of the landscape project with the homeowner. They discuss goals, materials, layout, unique features such as fountains, and budget. A designer can help accomplish your landscape goals and devise a plan that fits into your budget. An estimate is generated from that plan and it allows everyone to see what exactly is being done, where it is being done, and how much it costs.

6. Installation. I know many homeowners that tried to tackle a landscape project over a nice summer weekend and realized by Saturday afternoon that the job is too big for 1 or 2 people. Landscaping is hard work physically and mentally. Without the correct knowledge of how certain elements work you can get yourself into trouble fast. We have expert installation crews with years of experience in landscape installation. They can easily come in to a space and finish a project in a timely manner taking care to do the job correctly. Hardscapes take a lot of skill and precision to install so that they last over time, especially in a Minnesota climate where we have freeze/thaw to contend with. Landscape designers work directly with the installation crew to make sure that all of the elements from the design plan are carried out. The designer is available throughout the entire process to answer questions from the homeowner and installation crew to avoid costly errors and second guessing. I believe that a landscape designer is only as good as their crew; with a crew of experts behind them they can create anything.

7. Aftercare. After the landscape project is completed questions can still remain. A landscape designer will walk you through all the elements of your new space and discuss any issues relating to maintenance, special functions, and plant care. Landscapes grow and change over time, your designer will be there to answer any questions you may have in the future about your project. If you need a landscaping contractor in Minneapolis, Call Lee’s Landscaping & Design. East Metro: 651-248-6076, West Metro: 763-263-8746 Us or e-mail us today for a personalized consultation.