Heather Ginsburg
SPECIALTY: Water Conservation and Education
ABOUT:
Heather is a Texas tradeswoman through and through! With three state water licenses under her belt, she brings a unique perspective, background and expertise to the SAWS Education team. Heather’s deep understanding of and passion for sharing water knowledge makes her perfectly suited for coordinating and leading SAWS’ education tours.
Prior to joining the SAWS family, Heather worked in the private sector as a landscape designer where she spent countless hours helping homeowners create beautiful, water-saving landscapes.
Heather, along with her husband Brett and their two children, all strive daily to be kind humans who give back to Mother Earth.
Related Video
Related Article
-
Want foolproof flora? Take a hike!
When you spend time in nature and study what’s growing around you, it makes plant selection and placement for your new garden a cinch. Planning a garden and transforming a space is very exciting, but some aspects of it can be overwhelming for some people. In fact, the question I hear most when helping others […]
-
Protect San Antonio’s water: Always dispose of pesticides properly
Avoid the perils of pesticides and herbicides and consider organic or natural pest control methods instead. Pesticides and herbicides can be a convenient way to protect plants from pests and weeds. But when used or discarded incorrectly, these chemicals pose great risks not only to our ecosystem and wildlife, but also to our water, soil, […]
-
Take the Hand-Watering Challenge
Just because you have an irrigation system doesn’t mean you have to use it. Hand watering with a hose uses fewer gallons per minute and targets only what truly needs water. Hand-watering is guaranteed to use a lot less water than your irrigation system. And it puts you more in touch with your plants and […]
-
Give Your Garden Grit
Landscape looking limp or lacking structure? Brace it with a backbone of Texas-style evergreens. Believe it or not, having an attractive, low-maintenance, water-efficient landscape year-round is possible. The key: a backbone of Texas-style evergreens. This includes structural natives like red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora), blue agave (Agave americana), agarita (Berberis trifoliata), evergreen sumac (Rhus virens) and […]
-
Hit the Snooze Button on your Irrigation Controller
Right now, your lawn is enjoying a deep slumber. So, don’t disturb it with water. Just let it snooze and your pocketbook will thank you. During the holidays we’re all busy with a million things and let’s face it, most of those things cost money. But there’s good news! Watering your landscape is one less […]
-
Follow the Flush
What better way to welcome All Hallows Eve than with a virtual visit through the slimy, creepy underground world of water recycling? Have you ever wondered what happens to the water after you flush? Most people don’t. But in case you were, you may be surprised to learn there’s no magic involved. In fact, it’s […]
-
Easy Side-Yard Makeover
Calling all weekend warriors! Take that side-yard space from forgotten to functional with this simple-yet-elegant design. We all have to store our trash and recycle bins somewhere, and most of us do this in our side yards, close to the gate. But there’s no reason why this often-boring, likely underused part of our yard can’t […]
-
You Are the Best Controller for Your Irrigation System
No matter what type of controller you have, knowing how it works and what settings to use are the smartest ways to water efficiently. The truth is there is no right or perfect irrigation controller. No controller will magically save you water. In fact, trusting technology too much may actually cause you to use more […]
-
5 Weekends to a Gorgeous Garden
If a low-maintenance garden is your goal, there are five basic tasks to tackle now before spring officially blooms in mid-March. Cut back your perennials after the last freeze date in your area — all that frozen back foliage is protecting the plant and keeping it insulated. Cut back everything too soon and you’ll make […]
-
Start a New Holiday Tradition: Plant a Tree
Not sure what to do after visiting and feasting with family and friends? Start a new tradition — buy a tree in advance and present it to the group as a special activity! The holidays are such a special time of year. My favorite part is visiting with family and friends who come into town. […]
-
Hike Up That Hill Country Charm
It’s a common sight in a Hill Country landscape — a Texas-sized limestone boulder at the end of the drive. Learn how to make it work for you to create more curb appeal! As a landscape designer planning landscapes on the rocks in the Texas Hill Country, it became clear there are certain things we […]
-
How To Set Your Irrigation Controller
Wonky controller settings are the biggest culprit of residential water waste and high water bills. Luckily, taming your unruly timer — and preventing water waste — is as easy as 1-2-3! Are you intimidated by the sprinkler system controller? There’s no need to be. Operating it is much simpler than it seems. Plus, when you […]
-
3 Costly Irrigation Errors and How To Avoid Them
Automatic irrigation systems use an average of 2,000 gallons of water each time they run. If the controller isn’t properly programmed, it will result in a lot of wasted water — and a very high water bill. Automatic irrigation systems are often the biggest water user of your home, using an average of 2,000 gallons […]
-
Perky Privacy Plans That Won’t Box You In
From defining your property line to creating shade and habitat for wildlife, there are so many problems that can be solved with thoughtfully placed plants. Does your yard lack privacy? Would you like to define your property line and create shade and habitat for wildlife? Is mowing along the driveway or fence line becoming a […]
-
Take a Hike in Your Own Backyard
No need to drive to the nearest park when you can lace up your boots and “hit the trail” right in your own yard. Gardening is excellent exercise for your body and mind. Now that the holiday season is behind us, it’s time for some fresh air and exercise. Let’s reconnect with our gardens and […]
-
Working With Your HOA
Want to transform your water-guzzling landscape, but live in a community with a homeowners association? Follow our five-step way to woo your HOA. If you live in a community managed by a homeowners association, historical society, or similar organization and you want to make major landscape changes, it’s not an impossible task. But it is […]
-
The Path to Less Grass
A large lawn requires a lot of water, time and maintenance — now and in the future. Why not give up some grass? There are many more cool things you can do with your outdoor space. When designing or redesigning your yard, consider for a moment whether you actually need grass. Many people install costly […]
-
Improve Your Irrigation System’s Efficiency
Did you know making retrofits to your sprinkler system can translate to significant water savings? It all starts with a free irrigation consultation from SAWS! We all know swapping out a traditional light bulb with an LED bulb yields incredible energy savings. But did you know making retrofits to your sprinkler system can translate to […]
-
From Slab to Sexy
Is your backyard a bland expanse of sickly, sun-baked carpet grass with a tiny builder’s patio and no charm in sight? Use our coupons and rebates to transform it! This patio living space is intended for a small backyard or garden home. However, it can certainly be adapted for a larger space. Just remember, if […]
-
Our Favorite 5 Texas-tough Evergreens
Give your landscape some backbone — with native evergreens for year-round structure and depth. Is there an area in your garden that looks like a disaster because all the perennials froze back? Planting Texas native evergreen plants in key areas of your garden will hold it together year-round. And winter is the perfect time to […]
-
HOA Says No? Have Another Go!
Working with your homeowner association is a back-and-forth, collaborative process. Go into it knowing it may take a while and you may have to submit your landscape plans several times. So you submitted your landscape redesign plans to your homeowners association and they said no. Before you scrap the project altogether, take some time to […]
-
How To Lower Your Water Bill
If you have a high water bill — and an irrigation system — look no further than the irrigation controller. Nine times out of 10, that’s the culprit. Have you had high water bills this summer? You’re not alone. Many people have been scratching their heads wondering how they’ve used so much water when there’s […]
-
Be Your Irrigation System’s BFF
An in-ground sprinkler system has a lot of moving parts that can periodically fail or get damaged. You are the key to making sure yours operates efficiently. If you have an irrigation system, it requires ongoing maintenance and repairs, even when it’s brand new. Irrigation systems have a lot of moving parts that periodically fail, […]
-
Easy Fixes for Your Garden Glitches
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 […]
-
Real Life Rain Gardens
Two intrepid women, Lee Marlowe with the San Antonio River Authority and Heather Ginsberg with San Antonio Water System, brave raging wind and rain to tell everyone about the elements and virtues of a rain garden. The rain garden they’re featuring is in front of the Euclid Street offices of the San Antonio River Authority.
-
5 Must-Have Garden Books
If designing or refreshing your landscape is on your to-do list, start by perusing a few locally relevant books. They provide inspiration and lots of much-needed information before you dig into that project. So you want to design, redesign or refresh your landscape? Hmm… where to start? I’d recommend doing a little research, especially if […]
-
Plant a Tranquil Landscape
Grouping several of the same plants together is a great way to create movement and a serene scene in your landscape. Want to keep your upcoming landscape project from looking like a hot mess? Choose a palette of fewer plants instead of one of everything. Let’s face it, one of everything may be horticulturally interesting, […]
-
When High Style = Low Water
Why high-end landscape design can, and often does, save water Have you ever driven through a high-end neighborhood and thought, “Whoa! Niiiiice yard! But I bet their water bill is sky-high!” I’ll be the first to admit I used to do that! Now, as a SAWS conservation consultant, I have the privilege each and every […]
-
Gregg’s Mistflower: Butterfly Magnet
Butterflies go gaga over Gregg’s mistflower — and it makes an attractive, unconventional groundcover. In addition, it’s a tough native Texan! I am so excited to be featuring my all-time favorite plant this week! Gregg’s mistflower (Conoclinium greggii) is a butterfly magnet — and it makes an attractive, unconventional groundcover. In addition, it’s a tough native […]
-
Explore Olive Your Landscape Options with Mexican Olive
Mexican olive makes a dynamic focal point in a garden bed. And, it’s one of the many beautiful choices available for the fall WaterSaver Landscape Coupon. Are you creating a new WaterSaver Landscape coupon bed and having a hard time selecting plants? I get it. It’s not easy — not easy to choose between all the beautiful […]
-
Flame Acanthus
Want a plant to attract all the hummingbirds in the neighborhood to your garden? Look no further! Flame acanthus is a tough, Texas native perennial with bright green foliage and hot red-orange tubular flowers. It’s no surprise that a common name for this shrub is hummingbird bush because it is a hummingbird magnet! If you are trying to attract […]
-
Digging Deep with Pam Penick, Garden Sage
Get the “real dirt” from the author and designer who literally wrote the book on Central Texas gardening. Pam Penick is a gardening coach and mentor to people around the world, and lucky for us she lives and gardens in Austin, so her suggestions work very well for us here in south central Texas. She gives […]
-
Spur Your Neighbors On!
Are you a team player? Be the point guard of your neighborhood — transform your landscape into a water-saving winner and “spur” your neighbors on to gardening greatness! By Heather Ginsburg, Lisa Spears and guest writer Rebecca Vargas, Spurs fan extraordinaire As conservation consultants for SAWS we see gardens and yards all day, every day. It is […]
-
Shady Retreat Design
This shady retreat is not only a feast of foliage for the eyes, it boasts native species, requires very little water, maintenance and fertilization, and is an inviting habitat for creatures both wild and domestic. When you walk into this garden you’ll be surrounded by a sea of green coolness. It looks green, smells green… […]
-
Sustainability Starts in Your Own Backyard
The term sustainability has different meanings for everyone. But there are many things we can all do together to help make our city more sustainable — and we can actually start in our own backyards. When you hear the word sustainability, what does it mean to you? There are many things we can do to […]
-
What’s an Acadian To Plant in Texas?
Discovery of thriving Texas natives gave Heather a plan for transformation. Love brought this Acadian to San Antonio… and I got here as fast as I could! For those who aren’t familiar, Acadians are the Cajun people of the north – French Canadians and Aboriginals make up the majority of the group and most, like […]
-
Got Heaps of Homegrown Produce? Eat Some, Save the Rest!
With the abundant rains we’ve received this spring, those with vegetable gardens are likely reaping huge rewards from seeds and transplants set out in early spring. But what do we do with all this produce? Well, eat it, freeze it or give it away, of course! Eating homegrown vegetables is an excellent way to teach […]
-
The Neighborly Way to Sway Your HOA
Want to transform your water-guzzling landscape, but live in a community overseen by a homeowners association? Follow our five ways to work in partnership with your HOA. If you live in a community managed by a homeowners association, historical society, etc. and you want to make major landscape changes, it is not an impossible task. […]
