Landscape problems, we’ve all got ‘em. But most of them have very simple solutions. Read on to find out how to solve some common garden glitches.
I spend the better part of my work week outdoors helping homeowners create beautiful low water-use landscapes and functional outdoor spaces. I also see (or hear about) dozens of landscape problems that have simple solutions.
Today I’ll share three common landscape problems and how they can be corrected rather easily.
Problem #1: Crispy Lawn
I’m tired of hand-watering my crispy grass all summer long, I think I need an irrigation system.
Solution: You don’t need an irrigation system — you need a more heat-tolerant landscape. For very sunny areas, plant beds with sun-loving Texas native plants and only keep grass where it is the healthiest and does the best. By minimizing your lawn, or getting rid of it altogether, you’ll save a lot of time and water. You may even be eligible for WaterSaver Landscape Coupons to help you with your project!
Problem #2:Thin Grass in Sideyard
The grass in my side yard is thinning and dying and now I’m left with a mud pit!
Solution: This isn’t your fault and there’s nothing you can do to bring back the grass. What you need is a simple redesign with shade-loving groundcover like frogfruit or horseherb. This groundcover will also help prevent erosion. You may even be eligible for Irrigation Design rebates and WaterSaver Landscape Coupons to help you fix this very common problem.
Problem #3:Dry Plants in Irrigated Bed
I have irrigation in my garden bed, why are the plants at the front of it dry and dying?
Solution: I bet the irrigation heads in that bed are behind shrubs or plants that have grown taller and the water is not able to clear them to get to the plants in front. The best solution for this is to convert the irrigation zone in the bed to drip irrigation. Drip tubing or emitters are placed in the root zone of all plants and weep slowly so every plant gets watered efficiently — as long as it’s programmed correctly.
Remember, for any of the solutions involving an irrigation system, you need to schedule your free irrigation consultation before you make any changes to your irrigation system to be eligible for any rebates.
And please share your landscape problems via Garden Geek and I’ll be happy to address them in future articles.
