It’s no secret that at times, Houston sees little rainfall, which is why the best landscapers in Houston have some tricks of the trade to help keep your property in good condition even during a drought. As one of Houston’s leading landscaping and pool contractors, Carnahan Landscaping & Pools wanted to share some of the things we’ve learned over the years with you here.
Below you’ll find some important and inventive tips for landscaping during the dry season.
- Cover Your Soil
One good way to protect your landscape during a drought is by covering your soil and important areas of your garden to help it retain moisture. Doing so increases its drought tolerance and ensures that when you water, all of that moisture doesn’t evaporate too quickly. You can add mulch or other ground covers such as wood chips, etc.
- Reduce Greenspace
Although all of that grass looks gorgeous when it’s healthy and thriving, it can quickly become a nuisance to maintain in areas that experience less rainfall. That’s why reducing your landscape and replacing square footage with hardscaping features might be ideal for your property. You can create a rock garden or plant hardier items, such as wildflowers that thrive in drier environments to give your yard a great look and reduce maintenance and watering needs.
- Employ Drip Irrigation
In areas prone to drought, a little water goes a long way. That’s why many choose to install drip irrigation if they want to garden year-round. This type of irrigation, unlike a sprinkler system, is designed to target water directly to the roots of plants. It can increase the watering efficiency in your yard. There are multiple options to choose from when it comes to drip irrigation such as drip tape, poly tubing, and soaker hoses.
- Group Plants that Require Similar Maintenance Together
Another way to capitalize on water usage during a drought and also make lawn and landscaping maintenance much easier is to install softscape and garden features, such as plants, shrubs, etc., that have the same watering/maintenance requirements together. Not only does it make it easier to maintain a steady watering schedule but it also can help prevent evaporation.
- Plant Succulents
Planting succulents can be a wonderful way to keep your landscape thriving during a drought and even provide some beautiful colors and flowers as well. There are many varieties and in addition to being great at storing water, some also make the good ground cover. For example, stonecrop is a hardy succulent with different types of varieties that thrive all over the country.
- Native Landscaping
One great way to maintain a thriving landscape, in addition to being more eco-friendly, is by planting shrubs, trees, and flowers that are native to your local landscape. This is because these plants have adapted to your location over hundreds of years and are genetically pre-disposed to deal with drought scenarios.
- Capitalize on Rainfall by Installing a Rain Barrel
To cut your water bill down during the dry season and also keep your landscape looking great isn’t always easy, but installing a rain barrel can be a big help. There are a variety of rain barrels out there designed to work with your home’s gutter system to collect and store rainwater. You can then use it as a reserve for drier times. Many rain barrels are also designed to hook up easily to a hose, making them eco-friendly as well as efficient.
- Install a Patio, Gazebo, or Another Outdoor Living Space
Piggybacking off of point two, installing an outdoor living space like a custom patio or gazebo can be a great way to minimize the size of your lawn while also keeping your property’s usable square footage intact. A deck is also a great idea if you don’t have one and they can be perfect for container gardens, which are easier to maintain and often require less watering.
- Plant on Your Parking Strip
If you have a sidewalk in front of your home, you likely also have a parking strip that sits between the curb and sidewalk. By planting drought-resistant plants here you can increase tolerance to dry seasons and minimize erosion on your property. However, it’s important to ensure that your local laws and ordinances allow you to do so.
- Porous Hardscaping
Another way to make certain your landscape is getting all the water possible when it rains is by having hardscaping features that are porous. This enables as much rainwater as possible to drain into your soil. It will also help prevent flooding in flood-prone areas. There are a variety of hardscaping materials that are porous and look great such as interlocking concrete pavers, permeable cement, and asphalt.
Let us be your landscapers in Houston, contact us today!
To learn more about maintaining your landscape during the drought season or implementing a personalized landscape maintenance plan, Carnahan Landscaping & Pools would love to hear from you. We offer everything from landscape design services to upgrades, and much more.
Whether you want to add water features to your yard, install a new garden, or put down a patio, contact our team online today or call (281) 376-6868 for a quote!
