Living in Palm Springs? Use These Water Conservation Tips for Your Landscape
Palm Springs and the entire Coachella Valley has been experiencing intense drought for the past six years or so. This has not only severely affected the city’s economy and environment but has also become a source of frustration for homeowners, who can no longer take care of their lawns and gardens as much as they’d like to. Fortunately, if you’re one of these homeowners, you can take some landscaping steps to keep your outdoor space beautiful while conserving water. These include:
Storing rainwater
California has experienced significantly reduced rainfall since 2011, averaging just 1.76 inches of precipitation per year. Despite this, you should still strive to store rainwater whenever it does rain and use this to water your plants. This way, you can reduce your dependence on your main water provider and keep your garden in good landscaping shape without increasing your utility bills.
Opting for drought-resistant plants
It’s not advisable to introduce new plants to your garden during a severe drought. But, when the drought lets up and you have the chance to replant, make sure to choose those that are tolerant to dry spells and can survive with minimal or even zero water. This way, you can create a thriving and eye-catching garden that doesn’t have to consume a ton of water.
Changing your watering and mowing habits
Instead of watering your garden in the morning, you’ll want to do this at night. Evaporation rates are much lower in the evening than in the morning, which means the water will be fully absorbed by the soil and your plants will get maximum benefit from it. When landscaping or mowing your lawn, you can leave the grass longer instead of cropping it close to the ground. The presence of higher grass helps shade the soil, protect your lawn from sunburn, and reduce your lawn’s water requirements. Landscaping Palm Springs can be much easier if you forego having a lawn and turn to xeriscaping.
Being generous with mulch
Cover your plants with a layer of mulch that’s three to four inches thick. Doing this can be greatly beneficial since the mulch protects plant roots from the heat of the sun while reducing evaporation and increasing water retention in the soil. It also discourages weeds from growing and ensures your plants won’t have any competition for moisture and nutrients. (Of course, if you see weeds growing in your garden, pull them out right away to ensure they won’t steal water away from your plants.)
Minimizing the use of turf
Large swathes of turf might look great, but remember that they require a substantial amount of time and resources to maintain. So you need to ask yourself: do you really need this amount of turf? It can be beneficial for your entertainment areas and your kids’ play spaces, but you probably don’t need it anywhere else. Replace the non-important turf with a deck, patio, pathways, or even simple mulch to keep your garden looking great while reducing the amount of water needed to maintain it.
Use these water conservation tips to minimize your water consumption while ensuring your outdoor space stays attractive. If you need help with landscaping Palm Springs, don’t hesitate to contact us here at eLandscaping. We specialize in creating beautiful and eye-catching gardens and have expertise in working around Palm Spring’s hot climate and current drought situation.
