Let’s Talk About Irrigation
Plants have 4 basic needs. Do you need to provide water?
Twenty years ago I would not be having this conversation. Rain was steady, almost predictable. Droughts and/or monsoons were few and far between. There were no “extremes.” Fast forward to today, and the unpredictability of weather is apparent on every major news station. It’s predictably unpredictable! Jokes aside, what does that mean for our gardens and landscapes?
Let’s revisit elementary school science together and you’ll recall that plants need 4 basic things to survive: Nutrients, Light, Air and Water. Systems have been created to supplement these needs, and indoor gardeners would never question the need to provide water, nutrients or even supplemental light. But our outdoor landscapes now find themselves also requiring a response. Rainfall, that was once as predictable as light and air, is extendedly absent. So what’s a homeowner to do?
Whether you’re a growing lawn or a tomato, water is necessary. And in days gone by, the amount was primarily based on performance. Want a tomato… provide water. Want golf-course green grass…. provide water. But today? Want a plant to survive… you’ll need to provide water. Unfortunately our gardens and landscapes can no longer rely on rainfall to survive and irrigation is almost necessary to ensure.
Water the landscape? “Ridiculous” some may protest. “What a waste” they’ll say.
I too use to disagree with supplemental irrigation; the idea of using water to expedite performance was not an efficient use of natural resources. But, along with the prices of landscape plants, my opinion has changed. Gardens and landscapes require water. This may mean installing an irrigation system. This may mean investing in sprinklers. The amount of input is really up to you… but it will control the amount of output. And these days, output is in the form of survival.
Low Maintenance Doesn’t Have To Mean No Plants
A low maintenance landscape doesn’t have to mean no plants.
Who’s going to tell them? It’s not about the number of plants, but the type of plants. Hi, I’m Katy and I’m a horticulturist. But I’m also a working mom, wife, daughter, sister and friend. That means .. I’m busy. And you probably are too; which is why you’ve landed on this page. So let me introduce you to my mantra of gardening (or landscaping) ~ High Performance.
Like anything else in your home, or vehicle or life - there are better ways to do something. And I don’t mean popular; I mean better for you. And there is a better way to landscape that ensures you are going to be more successful and the plants are going to be more beneficial. This is called Performance Landscaping.
Performance Landscaping is not a new idea, but it has rarely been applied to home lawns and landscapes. In general, it is the enhancement of outcomes related to your landscape or garden - specifically the social, economic and environmental outcomes.
Social - maybe you get outside more.
Economic - maybe the value of your home increases.
and Environmental - maybe your garden requires less input like fertilizer, herbicides and water. That’s an economic benefit too BTW.
I’m working on spreading the word. Follow along for more.
-Katy