A July 2018 meeting saw the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force declare that Massachusetts is free from drought conditions. Residents of Massachusetts who were affected by the prolonged drought in March 2015 to May 2017 can breathe a sigh relief.

Although we are not currently in a drought, the taskforce did note that water and precipitation levels had gotten worse since early this year. People should still be mindful of how much water they are consuming, especially with the lower than normal precipitation for 2018.

You can reduce your environmental impact by using less water. Here are three ways to conserve water in your landscape and gardening.

1. Know your yard

If you don’t understand how much water your soil and plants need, it’s difficult to know if you’re using too much water. Understanding your yard’s soil profile is the first step. soil in Massachusetts tends to be acidic due to high rainfall and parent material such as granite and rhyolite. Every plot of land is different, so you must test the soil and analyze the results.

Understanding the plants in your yard is the second step to understanding it. Some plants may need more water than others. In the next tip, we’ll discuss specific shrubs, trees, and flowers that don’t need a lot of water. You will still need to keep track of the water requirements for any plants you have so you can know where you stand.

2. Plants that require less water should be incorporated

Knowing what plants are in your yard is the first step. Next, add plants that require less water. You don’t need to use all plants. You can mix and match, but you need to at least add low-water plants to existing yards if you want to reduce your water use.

Some of our favourite examples of plants that don’t need a lot of water are:

  • Potentilla is a small, but beautiful shrub that produces flowers in yellow, red, and orange.
  • Drift Roses– These roses are low-growing and need little water. These roses are an easy way to add beautiful groundcover to your yard.
  • Sedum is a perennial that produces star-shaped, pink-colored flowers in the colors yellow and pink. It requires very little maintenance once it is planted.

These are not the only plants we like. There are many others that need very little water once they are planted. For more ideas, see this list from the University of Massachusetts.


3. Drip irrigation

Most people picture watering plants using a hose or a sprinkler system. These methods can use a lot of water. Your average garden hose uses 5 to 40 Gallons of water per hour . Sprinkler systems can also be very dangerous, even when they are on a timer.

Drip irrigation systems are a better choice. These systems are more efficient in conserving water, even though they require more work to set-up. These systems also take less effort and time – you don’t have to worry about programming your sprinkler system or hose. Modern sophisticated systems allow you to control the watering schedule from your home using a WiFi or cell phone.

The EPA’s WaterSense webpage provides more information about drip irrigation systems. You will also find information about irrigation controllers as well as tips on how to use your system once it has been set up.