With the right plant selection and installation, and correct amount of soil, compost and mulch, a landscape can be both healthy and attractive — and require very little maintenance, particularly irrigation.
My years in South Texas with the Texas Forest Service and now San Antonio Water System have taught me one very important thing: there’s a misconception about the amount of water landscapes need.
I find the phrases, “but I need to water…” or “my plants need to be watered weekly…” rather disconcerting, especially as I hike the trails of San Antonio parks or drive to my favorite haunts in the Hill Country. One need only look to nature for clues on whether supplemental water is actually necessary.
A newly installed landscape in the Monte Vista neighborhood recently brought this to my attention. A nationally known landscape designer, who formerly lived in San Antonio, designed and installed a “thinking out of the box” landscape. He used xeric plants in different contexts and locations. The result was an attractive landscape of varying colors and textures.
But what intrigued me the most was the fact that, after a short establishment period, the landscape would be totally reliant on natural rainfall. No sprinklers. No hoses to schlep around. No irrigation systems to leak or fail (and increase your water bill to national debt levels). And no worrying about watering when you’re on vacation.
This does not mean you never have to water. It simply means you’re not obligated to water. A healthy, attractive landscape does not depend on an irrigation system that waters weekly. With the right plant selection and installation, and correct amount of soil, compost and mulch, a landscape can be both healthy and attractive — and require very little maintenance, particularly irrigation.
Garden Style San Antonio can help you minimize the amount of water and maintenance your landscape needs. There you’ll find information on plant selection, landscape designs and current watering advice. Let us help you create an attractive, landscape that saves water.
