Irrigating gardens can be both expensive and time consuming. Many native plants do not need watering every day and can still look their best. With some thought given to the delivery of rainwater as well as the choice of plants, you can design beautiful gardens that only need watering in periods of drought.
1) Set up a rain barrel. The roof of your abode represents a large surface area for the collection of water which you do not have to pay for and which is free of chlorine and fluorine. Collecting this water for your garden also diverts it from storm sewers.
2) Provide channels or furrows for water to flow through so that the water is directed to the planting beds.
3) If you feel that amendment is necessary, add plenty of compost to improve both water retention in dry soils and the movement of water in clay soils.
4) Add a few inches of mulch to slow down evaporation. In certain parts of the garden, you may want to leave some bare soil because many species of bees require this in order to make nests and reproduce. Around butterfly hostplants use leaves as a mulch in order to allow pupae to overwinter.
5) If you decide that you do need to water, it is best to water in the early part of the morning. This is the time of day when water infiltration is high and the water will not sit on the plant for long because it will evaporate when the sun rises. Hand water using cans or use soaker hoses. Any water that sits on a plant can lead to various types of fungal pathogens, so it is always better to water directly onto the soil. It is much better to water for a long time and less frequently. This allows water to penetrate deeply into the soil which encourages deep root growth and promotes drought resistance. Using soaker hoses is a good way to do this.
Gardening on slopes.
1) Dig out bunds or terraces. The effect of either of these is to slow down the flow of water so that there is more time for the water to infiltrate the soil. It also helps to prevent the loss of topsoil. If you are planting on a slope, this is very important.
2) For an even lower maintenance solution to reducing soil erosion on slopes, keep the ground permanently covered with plants as it also slows down water, maximises infiltration and prevents soil erosion. Sedges are a very good option for permanent vegetative cover.
A rainwater garden is usually installed to handle water drainage from concrete surfaces or other impermeable surfaces. They are often dug out so that rainwater can accumulate in these gardens and infiltrate the soil. Surface runoff in cities tends to pick up pollutants whereas in raingardens, the soil filters out these pollutants. Therefore, raingardens are helpful in lowering water pollutants and reducing excess surface runoff that can lead to flooding.
1) Set up a rain garden using a swale and a berm to trap the water so that it accumulates and percolates deep into the soil.
2) Choose plants that do well in wet soils while tolerating dry periods. If you insist on planting species with a higher water requirement it is important to site your raingarden where lots of water can accumulate.
A rain garden must be filled with plants that can tolerate some wetness as well as periods of dryness as the soil is supposed to be well drained to maximise water infiltration. Having some plants with some deep roots is also a good idea as these roots provide channels for the water to move deeper into the soil.
Flowers for a part sun/part shade rain garden.
Flowers for a full sun rain garden.
(Serviceberry)
