by Kathy White
• Rainwater is ideal for garden watering – use a rain barrel to store rainwater and direct the downspouts on the house eavestroughs to run into the garden, rather than the driveway or path.
• Check your garden’s dryness before watering – stick your finger into the soil and if it is dry to the first knuckle, water. If not, no need to water.
• Water the garden at ground level rather than up high. The foliage does not need to get wet!
• Water the garden in the cool of the morning, not the heat of the day, to prevent excess evaporation.
• Mulch applied around the plants will help with moisture retention and will discourage weeds from taking over.
• When choosing plants for your flowerbeds, select drought tolerant varieties. Often the plants with silver leaves are drought tolerant.
• Watering by hand uses less water than watering with a sprinkler. Lawns can get by without additional water. Prioritize your veggies and flowers rather than lawn.
• Soil that has had organic matter added to it (compost for example) will be healthier and will retain moisture better.
• The City of Calgary has information available to help with water-wise gardening: https://www.calgary.ca/water/programs/yardsmart.html.
• The Calgary Horticultural Society also has information available at: https://www.calhort.org/.
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