Be Water Wise
Water Conservation Tips for Your Garden
The key is to use all water twice whenever possible!
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Plant only drought-resistant plants (see list below).
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Prune down trees and shrubs to the size the root ball can support with less water.
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Don't let water go down the drain. Put a basin in the sink to catch water when you wash your hands. Use it to water your garden, shrubs, and houseplants. Gray water is fine.
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Use dishwater to water shrubs. One way to filter food particles and other garbage is to fill a trash bag 1/3 full with pine needles. Poke several holes in the bottom of the bag, and pour the dishwater through it directly onto the ground around the plants. Pine needles clean the water enough so that there won't be food odor to attract animals.
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Install gutters on your roof and collect the runoff into barrels/pails under the down spout. Drop a dollop of oil in the container to keep insects (especially mosquitoes) from gathering. Use to water plants and vegetables.
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Keep your soil healthy. Organic matter added to your soil will help your soil to retain moisture. Peat moss, composted leaves, manure, vegetable scraps, and grass clippings will improve soil structure and enhance its moisture retention capabilities. Healthy soils require less water and chemical additives. Do not over-fertilize.
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Mulch, mulch, mulch-it reduces weed growth and minimizes water evaporation.
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Water your lawn infrequently, but deeply. The best time to water your lawn is between 4 & 8 a.m. when water pressure is highest, wind distortion of the watering pattern is lowest, and evaporation is negligible.
Water Conservation Tips for Your Home
The key is to find ways to conserve the water we use!
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Put a container of water in the refrigerator for drinking, making coffee, tea, etc. this avoids running the tap water until it gets cold.
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Keep wet facecloths in plastic baggies, so that they can be reused without having to get them wet again. Works great with kids.
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Try not to use more than a cup of water when you brush your teeth. Don't leave the water running while brushing.
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Save the water used for boiling vegetables, etc. Let it cool down and use it to water plants.
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Buy a vegetable steamer. It not only uses less water than boiling, it's also healthier because it preserves more of the vitamins.
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To reduce the amount of water your toilet uses, place a couple of bricks or jars (filled with something to hold them in place), into the tank. Make sure they don't get in the way of the mechanism.
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Fix water leaks and leaky sink faucets and shower heads.
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Minimize spring cleaning: rather then washing curtains, put them into the dryer on no heat with a damp, clean towel to remove dust. Or, put it off entirely until the drought is over, and enjoy the rest.
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Use a solar cover on your swimming pool to help minimize evaporation.
Favorite Drought-Resistant Garden Selections
| Perennials | Annuals | Grasses |
| hybrid daylilies | ivy geraniums | zebra grass |
| yarrow | verbena | ornamental grass |
| beebalm | marigold | blue fescue |
| black-eyed susan | Mexican heather | |
| creeping thyme | polka dot plant | Trees and Shrubs |
| blanket flower | argeratum | arborvitae |
| red hot poker | borwallia | juniper |
| blazing star | dusty miller | mock orange |
| stonecrop sedum | gerbera daisy | butterfly bush |
| autum joy | portulaca | |
| lamb's ear | statice | |
| purple cone flower | vinca vine | |
| boltonia | dracena spike | |
| penny royal | nemeesia | |
| thread leaf coreopsis | heliotrope | |
| bear berry | lobelia | |
| dead nettle | coleus | |
| joe pye weed | alyssum | |
| snow in summer | lantana |