Water For Life Begins With You

Planting a water-wise garden is a great way to save water in the landscape. Below are considerations when selecting the appropriate plant for the best locale in your garden.

Find out what kind of soil you have.
Making improvements to the soil will broaden the varieties of plants you choose from. It can also improve your plants’ health and water-efficiency. Consult a nursery or landscape professional about how you can make soil improvements.

Plant ‘like’ plants together.
Grouping plants that need less or more water together is one way to be water-wise so you don’t over-or under-water.

Consider the growing conditions.
Is wind a factor in your garden? How much shade is there? All these and more need to be considered when picking the right plant.

What type of plants do you want?
Is the plant you chose for your garden a climber? Is it a ground cover? What about a hedge? Some of these plants require more or less water than others… find out from your local certified professional horticulturist (CPH) which ones are water-wise.

Sun/Shade Recommendations:

• Full sun.
  This means that the plant must receive sun during all, or almost all, of the day during the summertime.
  
• Partial Shade.
  There are two kinds of ‘partial shade’ – that which is in sun most of the time with a little shade, and that which is in the shade most of the time with a little sun. Usually tags will identify these with a sun/shade graphic.
  
• Full shade.
  These plants do well without any direct sunlight.

Plant Types

• Tender.
  Means that the plant will be damaged or die from frost.
  
• Half-hardy.
  When temperatures drop below freezing, some damage will occur. In very cold weather, all growth above ground level will perish.
  
• Slightly tender.
  In very cold weather the plant may incur a little damage but probably won’t die.
  
• Hardy.
  This plant needs no special protection (unless there are unusually long periods of freezing weather.)