by Deb Sabey
I grew up in Utah where it was an annual expectation that some portion of the state would have a bullet ricochet, fireworks go amiss, or lightning strike at just the wrong time igniting a wildfire that would displace wildlife and people. I often mourned for the burning earth. Then I moved to Canada, the land of lakes and rivers, and thought I’d left the drought lifestyle behind me. Silly me.
In 2023 alone, Canada had a reported 18.5 million hectares burned. It was the worst fire year on record. After the dry winter we’ve just been through, 2024 is looking like it wants to compete for the title.
Many of us are blessed to spend summertime in the forests and mountains. None of us want to see them burn. But what can we do?
Five Ways to Be More Water Wise in The Garden
1.) Water the Rootzone – Instead of using overhead spraying or sprinklers, invest in drip lines or bubblers that leave the water on the ground. This will prevent the majority of evaporation and you’ll be using less water.
2.) Use the Rain – It’s free and full of nutrients city water doesn’t have, so why not use it? Investing in a rain catch system will save you on city water and leave you with a more beautiful garden. Green Calgary offers blue rain barrels for residences in the city. If the blue barrels are hideous to you, Pinterest has a wealth of ideas for hiding them.
3.) Mulch, Mulch, Mulch – If you’ve been to any of my gardening classes, you’ve heard me talk about mulch. Mulch is the answer to many gardening woes but is especially crucial when it comes to your water. Mulch will act as a reserve of water for the soil as well as cooling the garden so that less watering is needed. Any natural organic mulch is going to be your best friend. I promise.
4.) Reduce your Lawn – Every 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn requires 624 gallons of water to receive one inch of water. That’s a lot of water. Shrinking your lawn is as easy as giving your flower beds an extra inch or two of space or opening up a new veggie bed. Food and flowers require much less water than turf does. Another option is to consider xeriscaping or switching to a grass alternative like clover.
5.) Commit to a Watering Schedule – The City of Calgary has already warned us that water restrictions are likely this year. Commit at the start of the season to watering only once a week as needed and using the water for your trees, food producers, and pollinators.
Hopefully we’ll be blessed with a wet June and the province will begin to recover from the past few years. But, let take this year to adopt water wise gardening habits and make a difference.
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