Keeping Your Garden Green In the Middle Of A Drought

by Graham Barton
(Oklahoma)

Residing in Oklahoma and being a enthusiastic gardener has recently proved to be somewhat traumatic in the past couple of years, as this state along with many others has been experiencing a rather significant drought.

The city intends to impose watering restrictions which will not supply enough water to plants and lawns. As a result I've had to remodel my garden to make it more water efficient.

Because of the changes I have made and the techniques I've utilised, I'm one of the few in my neighborhood who has a garden that isn't entirely brown.

If you're also living in an area affected by water restrictions you may want to consider using a number of of these methods as well.

I discovered that the soil in my garden was not retaining water that well,(I found I was having to water far more than necessary) so the first thing I did was to remove all my plants. I then mixed plenty of good compost with the existing soil, which stopped a lot more water from escaping, which also helped the roots of the plants to grow mor vigorously.

'In the New York Times In 2011 under the heading "Drought Spreads Pain From Florida to Arizona" it was reported that the United States Department of Agriculture designated all 254 counties in Texas natural disaster areas, qualifying them for varying levels of federal relief. More than 30 percent of the state’s wheat fields might be lost, adding pressure to a crop in short supply globally. ' Read More...

The next stage was to replace my plants. I decided that where I chose to put my plants would reflect the volume of water required to keep them alive. Plants that didn't need a lot of water I planted on one side of my garden, after which I just moved on in the volume of water required to the far side of the garden. The end result was that there was no need to waste as much water on plants that didn't need it.

Although I have several water butts I decided that by installing a drip irrigation system I could lower even further the volume of water that was required to water my garden. The wonderful thing about these irrigation systems is that they constantly drip into the plants, making sure that every single drop of water is absorbed.

Using conventional watering systems, I find that the roots can be overwhelmed with the sheer amount of water that can amass in the soil, with lots just seeping right past the roots.

In the event you still seem to require more water than you can deliver to your back garden, you could possibly take into consideration other types of plants that are less water dependent . If you prefer a decent shrub that doesn't consume more than its fair share of water, take a look at Heavenly Bamboo. It's tolerant of droughts, and looks quite decorative in any garden.

If you're looking for flowers whose water requirements are less and yet still are colorful, check out Penstemon varieties like Garnet, Apple Blossom, Moonbeam, and Midnight. It's also possible to attract hummingbirds and butterflies with varieties like Cosmos and Yarrow.

Undoubtedly one of my preferred drought resistant plants is Lavender. A large group of Lavender plants are extraordinarily stunning in the garden, and they need barely any water to thrive.

The Pineapple sage plant is another personal favorite of mine. It's a medium size shrub that actually smells of pineapple.The leaves are useful to add taste to drinks,and the plant is yet another attracter of hummingbirds.

If you find you're living in an area under water restrictions maybe you would like to try a few of the changes I mentioned. It will help you to keep your garden green whilst at the same time helping our environment.