Thirsty to thrifty gardening….Dreams of lush lawns and gardens in the second driest state are hard to maintain. Hot and dry isn’t new for those of us who have lived here for a few years but this year the weather is shouting at us to adjust our expectations. A quick search of the internet shows that from June 1- July 27 thirty-seven days have been at or above 90º and ten of those days were 100º or more!
We don’t have to choose between dry and brown or higher and higher water bills though. Here are some ideas and resources:
The Idea Book found on the CDCU website provides the top ten ideas for reducing water use in your home and garden, including low water use plants for the garden.
The Utah Rivers Council Rip Your Strip (http://www.utahrivers.org/rip-your-strip/ program encourages homeowners to convert traditional parking strips into an “exciting and beautiful example of what low water-use landscaping can be.”
Landscape Irrigation Rebates: Anyone residing within the Central Utah Water Conservancy District (http://www.cuwcd.com/rebates/index.htm) may participate in the District’s Landscape Irrigation Product Rebate and Grant Programs. Eligible counties are: Salt Lake, Utah, Wasatch, Duchesne, Uintah, Sanpete, Piute, and portions of Summit, Juab, and Garfield.
Looking for a good example - My favorite ways to find ideas for my yard and garden is to walk my neighborhood at different times of the year, visiting demonstration gardens, and talking to plant venders at the farmers market.
Here are a few demonstration gardens to check out; Central Utah Gardens (Orem), Conservation Garden Park (West Jordan), Red Butte Garden (Salt Lake City), Sego Lily Gardens (Sandy), Utah House (Kaysville).
The Master Gardner Program (http://utahmastergardeners.usu.edu/home/homeMain.htm) is also a terrific resource.
