• Plants: A Valuable Community Resource
• Twenty Tips for a Water Wise Garden
• An Insider's Guide to Water Conservation

Plants: A Valuable Community Resource

• Landscaping adds an average of 14.8 percent to a home's value.
  
  
• Homes with attractive landscaping sell quicker--by as much as five to six weeks.
  
  
• As home improvements go, landscaping is an excellent investment. Recovery value at selling time can be 100 to 200 percent.
  
  
• Landscaping enhances property values, which add to the community's tax base.
  
  
• Proper placement of shade trees and evergreen windbreaks reduces cooling and heating costs.

Environmental Benefits

• Trees moderate urban "heat islands" created by extensive paved areas. Lawns cool a home at the same rate as a one-ton air conditioner. Lawns also trap dust, absorb noise, and provide outdoor living areas for children and adults.
  
  
• One tree removes 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air every year and releases about 13 pounds of oxygen--enough for a family of four on a daily basis.
  
  
• Plants reduce noise pollution up to 50 percent.
  
  
• Plants control runoff and erosion. They allow soil to absorb water, returning it to aquifers. Decreased runoff means less urban flooding.
  
  
• Lawns slow the spread of wildfires to homes.
  
  
• Plants provide food and habitat for wildlife, which contributes to biodiversity and a healthier environment.
  
  
• Landscaping creates green space for human rest, recreation and renewal.

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Twenty Tips for a Water Wise Garden

Appreciating the economic, environmental and psychological benefits of plants is easy. Just imagine a world without them. These assets, and the time and money already invested in landscapes, are reason enough to preserve them.

Water Wise gardening has advantages of its own: stronger plants, less maintenance, lowered water bills and decreased demand on natural resources. Even in drought-free conditions, these principles make good gardening sense.

1. Group plants according to water requirements to avoid over-or-under-watering.
   
   
2. Use plants that need less water. Plenty of attractive varieties meet this definition.
   
   
3. Install new plants when reliable rainfall is expected. In many regions, fall is the best time to plant.
   
   
4. Build basins around shrubs and trees to limit runoff.
   
   
5. Mulch to reduce moisture evaporation.
   
   
6. Fertilize properly--too much stimulates thirsty new growth.
   
   
7. Pruning keeps plants strong and less water dependent.
   
   
8. Prioritize watering. New plants need more frequent watering than established trees and shrubs.
   
   
9. Irrigate lawns only when needed. If grass springs back up after you walk on it, it doesn't need water. Or, let your lawn go dormant; most grasses rebound when rains return.
   
   
10. Mow higher and less often. Longer leaf surfaces encourage deeper rooting and shade roots. Mowing puts grass under additional stress that requires more water.
    
    
11. Water plants when the soil is dry, not before.
    
    
12. Use a spring-loaded hose spray or hose-end turn-off device.
    
    
13. Adjust sprinklers so water reaches lawns and gardens, not pavement.
    
    
14. Inspect sprinkler systems for leaks.
    
    
15. Time your watering. Water early to decrease evaporation. Avoid windy days for the same reason.
    
    
16. Water infrequently, deeply, and thoroughly. This stops wasteful runoff and encourages deeper root development. Plants with deep roots develop greater tolerance to dry spells.
    
    
17. Install a drip irrigation system. You'll save up to 60 percent of the water used by sprinklers.
    
    
18. Move container plants to shady areas. Watering them over the root area of a tree puts excess water to good use.
    
    
19. Remove weeds. Weeds rob water and nutrients from valuable plants.
    
    
20. Watch the weather. Don't irrigate if rain is predicted. Skip at least one watering after a good rain. Cut back watering times and frequencies in cool and/or humid weather.

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An Insider's Guide to Water Conservation

With all the emphasis placed on conserving water in landscapes, it's easy to neglect water saving around the house. Yet, we can reap significant savings without significant lifestyle changes. Here's how:

• A bucket placed inside the shower collects "warm-up" water. This otherwise wasted water is great for container plants.
  
  
• If all American households installed water-saving toilets, faucets and showerheads, water savings would equal about 5.4 billion gallons per day.
  
  
• Turn off the water while brushing teeth or shaving.
  
  
• Repair leaks--one drop per second wastes 2,400 gallons of water a year!

• Scrape dirty dishes instead of using the dishwasher pre-rinse cycle.
  
  
• Run dishwashers and washing machines on full loads only.
  
  
• Limit disposal use by composting garbage. You'll save large amounts of water and improve your garden soil.

• Use a broom or blower on sidewalks and driveways instead of a hose.
  
  
• Don't let the water run while washing your car. Use a nozzle or hose-end turn off valve.
  
  
• Pool covers reduce evaporation. In arid climates, an average sized swimming pool loses about 1,000 gallons of water per month if left uncovered.
  
  
• It's a sign of summer fun, but running through sprinklers or playing with hoses wastes gallons of water.

Use common sense--think about water and how you use it. Involve your entire family. The habits we teach children now make them better environmental citizens in the future.

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