Heidi Heiland's 11 Water Wise Tips
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn.-- As you look at the mounds of snow around your residence, watering your yard and garden in a few months is far from your mind. However, according to Heidi Heiland from Heidi's Lifestyle Gardens , now is the time to plan for the future.
Here are Heidi's 11 'Water Wise' Tips-
1. Look to nature to be your guide-
Choose native plants, as well as "nativars", or natives that have been adapted to our region.
2. Install more plants-
Look to find areas where you can install more plants, and less hardscapes.
3. When you do need hardscapes- Hire a certified professional to install permeable pavers for your driveways, sidewalks and patio areas. A great resource for more information about permeable options can be found at the Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute website: http://www.icpi.org/
4. Plan for properly installed Rain gardens-
For more information about Rain Gardens, check out the web site of the Blue Thumb organization, whose motto is "Planting for Clean Water". http://bluethumb.org/raingardens/
5. Install buffer strips of plants-
Another great way to plant for clean water is to install buffer strips of plants along shorelines and waterways. This photo illustrates another beautiful example of what is known as shoreline stabilization.
6. Trees are vertical Raingardens!
Install them liberally!
7. Shower with a friend- Heidi likes this advice and follows it when she can!
:>)
8. Identify Best Management Practices- A great example: Rain box systems. More varieties have become available. Good information about how these systems work can be found here: http://www.conservationtechnology.com/rainwater.html
9. Add organic matter or moisture-
Improve your garden and landscape soils by adding organic matter or moisture retentive agents. A good product to try: "Vacation Anti-Drought". For more info try:
http://www.organic-gardeningshop.com/Agorganics/product_details.aspx?
10. Install a Green Roof on your garage or shed-
Green rooftops incorporate plants as a part of the roofing system. Ecological benefits include stormwater management, water quality improvements, reductions in energy use, and many other benefits. The Minnesota Green Roofs Council promotes green rooftop technology as a sustainable building strategy in Minnesota.
http://www.mngreenroofs.org/
Or check out-
Green roof fundamentals- http://liveroof.com/
11. Water less often
And more deeply when you do water.
For more information about Heidi's Lifestyle Gardens, visit www.HeidisLifestyleGardens.com
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