Get Smart � How to Smart-scape Your Lawn
Are you looking to reduce your water consumption without hurting the health and vitality of your Burlington turf? Create a water efficient yard this year, read on to find out how to smart-scape with a little help from out Burlington lawn sprinkler systems.
What is Smart-scaping?
Smart-scaping is a method of landscaping that is water efficient. As such, smart-scaped lawns are designed with plants that are suitable to the environment of your home. The landscape layout itself is conceptualized to avoid evaporation and runoff increasing the efficiency of your Burlington sprinkler system.
How Can Smart-scaping Help Me?
Maintaining a smart-scaped lawn allows you to enjoy many benefits, including eco-friendly and cost effective landscaping.
- Lower your water bills
- If you're losing less water from runoff and evaporation, you won't have to turn on your Burlington sprinkler system nearly as often.
- Reduce pollution
- With a smart-scaped lawn you will need to use fewer pesticides and fertilizers to keep your lawn healthy.
- Helps protect water sources
- This is particularly true during a drought. Smart-scaping is an environmentally conscious form of landscaping that decreases water usage with forethought for the condition of current water sources.
- Don't let drought get you down
- Your smart-scaped yard can withstand possible restrictions on water and irrigation if a drought arises. Because your plants have been chosen to be water efficient, you can water them less without putting them at risk. Your lawn can continue to look great even during a drought.
- Less maintenance
- A smart-scaped lawn is more logical and usable, without sacrificing the aesthetic quality of your landscape.
Develop Your Smart-scape Plan
Before you get started, it's a good idea to map out your smart-scape. Know what plants you're going to use and where they are going to go.
Make sure to indicate on your map where north is, where buildings, sidewalks, and driveways are, and any existing trees or large shrubbery on both your property and any of your neighbours' properties that may intrude on yours. Also make sure you know where existing utility lines and cables are before you begin planting.
Map out current flowerbeds and the shade conditions for each one. Also have a good idea of general environmental conditions of your area. Know which areas of your yard are more wet and shady, and which are more sunny and dry, as well as the slopes of the yard. All of these factors will impact your landscape design.
Next, map out what you want out to see on your property. Where do you want new flowerbeds to go, shrubs, plants, or pathways? Remember that curves look more natural than straight lines, and a yard with too many distinct boundaries may give the feeling of confinement. Think about what you want out of your property: colour; berry bushes; privacy; especially aesthetically pleasing areas. Remember to take your Burlington sprinkler system in to account as well. Where are the sprinkler heads? Which plants will need to receive the most water?
Now that you've planned out all of that, you can choose plants. Pick plants that match the specific environmental conditions of your yard. In particular, now that you know where your yard is sunny and shady you can choose plants that thrive in those conditions naturally.
Change Watering Techniques
To reduce runoff, you may need to adjust the direction of your Burlington sprinkler heads, particularly if they are on a slope. Have the heads point to the top of the slope, where plants will catch the spray as it attempts to make its way down.
Encourage deep roots for your plants by watering infrequently, but deeply for long periods of time. This is better than watering often for short periods of time as that will only encourage shallow roots. Deep roots allow plants to reach water further into the soil, which will keep them from drying out for long periods of time.
Get your complimentary quote today from Nutri-Lawn Burlington, so you can begin to plan your smart-scaped yard!