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Water Exploration - in the Backyard & Beyond

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Ed has been reading the headlines, the articles, the scientific observations, charts & graphs.... here's the question he didn't ask: Would you rather sunbathe on your beautiful lawn or eat a peach in the shade of your own backyard orchard? You will have to make that choice....Think about it now....

A Guide to Xeriscape Trees National Drought Council National Drought Mitigation Center Tips for saving water More Xeriscape links

Faced with growing water demands in the western states, can the horticulture industry prosper or even survive in the next 20 years?

The nursery industry needs to understand that water is its bloodline. Like blood, there is a limited supply. However, there is no reserve to call upon when supplies get low.

West of Colorado, many areas are faced with degrees-of-water-usage issues:
Since the drought of the 1970s, California has been only 1 or 2 dry years away from the next water crisis. San Diego may lose its water allotment from the Colorado River; low rainfall in Santa Fe may make it necessary to impose very strict water regulation. New Mexico, northern Texas, Colorado, Oregon and Utah have all experienced extended lack of rainfall in the last few years.

For more than 100 years, the water systems of much of the developing west were created to service dry and fairly unpopulated areas. These systems still receive their unpredictable water allotment from an increasingly stingy Mother Nature. In the past 20 years, the probability of a dry season has become greater than the likelihood of a wet one. Throughout the west, population is growing but the water resources are not.The population is the real crisis and continued growth will force the nursery industry to rethink how it addresses this critical issue.

What about the use of water in the home garden?

I say Home Garden because it is NOT the landscape concept that needs attention. Landscapes can and will change in the event of drought conditions. The change will be mandated by the state or local governments and the average home owner will change landscaping to sustain their property values.

For most people, landscaping seems to be something one inherits when they have a home. It can be embraced as a creative activity or a dutiful chore.The level at which one gets involved seems to be determined by the amount of free time one is willing to spend. This is a difference between a person who only maintains a landscaped yard and one who becomes an avid home gardener.

The need for water conservation will affect future potential gardeners if their first challenge is to forsake another water need in order to practice the hobby of home gardening. Moreover, it is the home gardener and the very concept of home gardening that is in jeopardy! If fewer new and returning gardeners come to the nursery because of water restrictions, the entire industry is threatened.

The need for water to maintain the yard is a given; using water efficiently is not. The average homegardener has not been impressed with water use in minimum terms. Excess use of water is still the most common reason for losses of plants in the landscape. There are ways to cut down on the use of water....

The nursery industry needs to push this issue well in advance of the next severe drought. The industry should be awash with water-saving advice and offer ideas for less water use in the home garden. This will show the nursery industry as the go-to source for ideas on how to weather the dry years and take control long before government & media spin has a negative effect.

“How much water does this plant need?” is not what the home gardener needs to know. The question that needs answering is: ”How little water does it take to keep this plant healthy?”

With the right information from the horticultural industry, the dry years should not be a problem!