We all learned in school that water covers 75% of our vast blue planet, but in truth 97% of that is salt water, and another 2% is frozen or inaccessible! There’s a lot of demand on that remaining 1% of water – for drinking, bathing, cooking, washing clothes, dishes, not to mention watering our lawns and gardens.
We as gardeners are responsible for a lot of that water use, so in this episode we look at ways to reduce municipal water use in the landscape.
Joe visits with garden designer, author and speaker Nan Sterman in her own back yard. Nan shows us how she grows a breathtaking garden in Southern California, a region where water shortages are a regular part of life. Through careful selection of plants, planting in irrigation zones, eliminating the lawn, and (in a few spots such as the vegetable beds) efficient drip irrigation, Nan manages to have a lush, beautiful and colorful landscape that uses very little water.
From harvesting rainwater in barrels to planting a rain garden, using mulch and careful plant selection, there are many techniques gardeners, landscapers and homeowners can use to reduce our water use every day!
For more information:
- Chef Nathan’s recipe for Swiss Chard Frittata
- California Gardener’s Guide Volume II
- Water-Wise Plants for the Southwest (Water Gardening)
- Canary Test, the other meaning
- Rain Garden Network
- Willows Lodge
- A Growing Passion-Nan Sterman’s website
- Growing herbs outdoors
- Rain Gardening in the South
About GGWTV
Growing A Greener World is a national gardening series on Public Television that features organic gardening, green living and farm to table cooking. Each episode focuses on compelling and inspirational people making a difference through gardening. This gardening series covers everything from edible gardening and sustainable agriculture to seasonal cooking and preserving the harvest.
I know it would be neat as far as showers, washing, dishes, and rain water, but I did not think of these things when had the house built last year, so not sure how hard it would be to like do it, or what the city codes would be, However I might start and get some trash cans plastic and put along the side of the building as when it rains here in Georgia it pours and I have no spouts it just runs off the roof, I could catch water that way as well, I am sure I will come up with something that looks ok when I get the money 🙂 but house is first right? thanks though for the tips.
here are the plans. http://www.oasisdesign.net/greywater/laundry/
would be most easy if your washer is on an outside wall.
best yet, learn about hugelkultur http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/
look to the forest and what already happens there, its really simple when we think about it huh!
best part is all mine i have done free…. haul off rotting wood for people, throw it on the ground, pile on some dirt.
Id love to see GGW incorporate more permaculture type stuff!
I hear greywater reuse is gaining in popularity as well. I have seen some free plans out on the net and it looks pretty simple, just be sure you are using the proper greywater safe laundry soap, (you should anyway!)
so everytime you wash your clothes, you water everything connected to your system, rather than sending the water straight to the sewer. how neat is that?
I am a new homeowner and yes my back yard is more of a sand pit so I am actually starting from scratch with fixed income, So I am trying to as well though I have grass out there that is wild grass, trying to eliminate most of it, So might be interested in these kinds of shows, being in the south I have lots to learn and as well I use to watch a wonderful show on PBS that was called “The Victory Garden” and I really had my place looking good before the divorce, but I had much better dirt then have here 🙁 but slowly I am trying to work in composting, though it is not easy, I have been stealing the neighbors lawn clippings and leaf bags but returning the recyleable bags back to them and using the trash can method of dumping one into another to keep the mix going, 🙂 I look forward to this site.