Subject: Seattle Post Intelligencer placement
From: "Merilee:::Kern Communications" <[email-masked]>
To: "'Steve Jacobs'" <[email-masked]>, "Chris Herman" <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 7 May 2009 21:37:19 -0700

http://www.seattlepi.com/nwgardens/405949_garden06.html

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Last updated 8:20 p.m. PT

5 ways to save water in your garden and landscape
By SUSAN MEHALICK
ALBANY TIMES UNION

Everyone is concerned about saving money these days, which is a good thing. But another place to think about saving -- or conserving -- at this time of year is in your garden and landscape. 

Just think, how many times have you seen sprinkler systems running at full bore during a rain storm? However, clean, potable water is a commodity that should not be wasted -- regardless of the economic climate or geographic location. 

Of course, by saving water, you'll save on your water bill and/or your energy bill (depending on whether your water source is public or private). With that in mind, here are some tips on conserving water from landscape and horticulture expert Steve Jacobs, president of San Diego-based Nature Designs (www.naturedesigns.net).

1. Got mulch? Adding a 2 inch layer of groundcover mulch to planter beds is a good way to conserve water. Doing this will lower the temperature of the soil and dramatically reduce evaporation. You will also get the added benefits of weed control, erosion control and adding organic matter to the soil.

2. Age matters. Those homes with mature plants and trees, which have a fully developed root system, can be watered less frequently and in some instances only a few times a year or not at all. So, as your landscaping ages, your watering schedule should be decreasing in kind.

3. Understand water needs. Know what's planted in your yard, and if your flowers, plants and trees require high, moderate or low water so that you can set your irrigation system accordingly. Try to plant items together in zones with similar watering needs rather than mixing and matching high and low water use plants in the same area. If your current landscape requires a lot of water, consider changing the plantings to native plants. This will allow you to water less often and still have a beautiful garden.

4.Irrigation control. Overwatering due to poor irrigation system management is a major culprit of water waste, and offers the largest potential for conservation. A minimum of each quarter as the seasons change, homeowners should reprogram their irrigation controller to optimize water run time and frequency schedule to avoid watering too much or too little. Ensure your irrigation system is property "zoned" based on exposure to sunlight, wind and other elements. For example, you would not want to water sunny and shady zones at the same time, for the same frequency and length of time, because the water needs greatly differ in these two areas. Also, be mindful of terrain. To avoid runoff, have an irrigation system with a low precipitation rate and/or to set short run times.

5. Log on. There are many online resources to help homeowners conserve. For example, the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service offers a "Backyard Conservation Tip Sheet" located at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/watercon.html.