How To Save Water In The Garden While Enjoying Amazing Color At The Same Time!
Posted on August 9, 2008 - Filed Under Gardening | Leave a Comment
Saving water does not have to mean a dull, colorless garden. Here are some tips for an amazingly colorful garden, that is water wise as well.
Saving water in Mediterranean and other dry climate climates is becoming a matter of critical importance for gardeners. It is often thought though, that saving water has to be at the expense of beauty; that water conservation is synonymous with a dull, colorless garden. Admittedly, annual flowers are the largest consumers of water compared to other groups of plants, but color can be attained by using plants that once established, consume about 5 times less water over the year. Too good to be true? Read on.
Catharanthus roseus ? An Annual Flowering Plant That Can Save You A Lot Of Water
Posted on August 5, 2008 - Filed Under Gardening | Leave a Comment
The limiting factor in growing annual flowers in Mediterranean gardens is their high consumption of water. Catharanthus roseus, (Madagascar Periwinkle), can be grown on about a quarter of the water needed by most annuals.
One of the main drawbacks of growing annual flowering plants in Mediterranean and other dry climate regions is their excessive water consumption. Annuals in hot, dry summer areas require water based on at least 6mm a day, which is 6 liters per square meter. Over the year, this can amount to more than a cubic meter of irrigation water for every meter square ? an unviable and unacceptable rate, unless the area planted with annual flowers is reduced to a minimum. Catharanthus roseus however, can be successfully grown, creating a lovely carpet of color, on a third, perhaps a quarter of that amount, thereby saving you much water and expense.
Choosing Shrubs For A Dry Climate Garden ? How To Think Like A Professional Designer
Posted on July 27, 2008 - Filed Under Gardening | Leave a Comment
Understanding the design function of landscaping shrubs can help you make wiser choices when planning your garden, or adding some plants to an existing border.
When choosing which shrubs to include in your garden, your starting point may be based on your favorite likes and dislikes. As counter intuitive as it may sound, this approach is mistaken. Instead, you can think like a professional garden designer, by allotting a specific design role to each element in the garden, including the landscape shrubs and bushes.
Garden irrigation ? Why It?s So Important To Grow And Water Different Plant Groups Separately
Posted on May 1, 2008 - Filed Under Gardening | Leave a Comment
In dry climate gardens, a professional irrigation system is a pre-condition for successfully growing the garden plants and managing water responsibly. It also makes good design sense.
Effective irrigation and efficient water management are about supplying suitable quantities of water to the garden plants, at the right intervals. Both these parameters differ in accordance with various groups of plants. Trees and shrubs of tropical origin may thrive on soil conditions that are almost permanently moist, while species from dry climates invariably prefer the soil to dry out somewhat between the waterings. Herbaceous flowering plants need to be watered frequently, while under such a regime, herbs are liable to suffer from a lack of air in the root zone.