Waterwise design is not only worthy, but a win-win.
A waterwise garden comprises three gardening zones: oasis, transitional, and xeric.
The oasis zone is the area closest to a water source: drain spouts, rain barrels, spigot, etc.
The transitional zone is the area away from the house about midway from the home and the end of the property. Plantings here should be sustainable requiring only occasional supplemental water.
The xeric zone is at the property’s perimeter. These plants should be tough requiring no supplemental water. This area can be filled with dependable drought-resistant plants.
Designing your garden with waterwise zones, helps make you a more efficient gardener, places plants where they will thrive, while saving resources. Your garden wins, you win.
Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™
Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.
Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum
Excellent advise!
I hadn’t thought of it that way, but it makes perfect sense.
Good advice – now tell me why my vegetable garden is so far from the house! However, I am planting a new ‘Early Garden’ right in front of the house where seeds can be watered properly for best germination.
Thanks Carol and yes, Robin, it does just make sense. H.
Commonweeder, you are not alone. I’m very fortunate in that I found the perfect spot in the front garden for my veggie garden.
The owners before us converted the garage to an office leaving a strip of grass between where the driveway ended and the enclosed structure. I put our veggie garden there. Then I diverted the drain spouts to drip lines feeding the veggie garden. It is also located near a spigot. It makes it handy to water, because as you alluded to, veggie gardens are oasis gardens. A handy way to water will make your life so much easier. H.
I wish I had been water wise when I began my garden! I hand water the monarda during the dry months! Helen, there is another consideration to water wise gardening…Aging gardeners~Dragging those hoses around is not fun! gail
Ditto that Gail! H.