Golden Acre’s FREE gardening webinars have returned for another season! This year, we’re excited to dive into gardening topics like seed saving, water saving, native plants, and even sensory gardens! Join our live stream every Saturday to interact with our resident horticulturist, Colin Hayles!

SAVING WATERING IN THE GARDEN

The Importance of Water Saving

You might be in the beginning stages of planning out your 2025 garden! One thing that is often missed in the planning process is how you’re going to water! Considering how you’re going to water your garden can help produce healthier plants, prevent overwatering, and reduce weeds. It can save your time by reducing maintenance and overall care. Plus, it can save your wallet by lowering water bills, reduce fertilizer waste, and reduce the amount of replacement plants you need to buy.

Soil Health & Preparation

Healthy soil full of organic matter retains moisture better and helps to reduce fertilizer run off. It’s a good idea to amend your garden beds annually as needed. Your plants will pull different nutrients up from the soil every year.

Smart Irrigation

Targeted watering toward a plants root system can really help to reduce overall water consumption. While there are benefits to shower the leaves of your plant,  such as removing dust, the roots really require the water the most to thrive. Plus, by watering a bigger area, you’re feeding the dormant weed seeds and creating more work for yourself!

Root Feeders

Soaker Hoses

Choosing Water-efficient Plants

Once established, drought tolerant plants can drastically reduce the amount of watering you need to provide. Native plants are great additions and you don’t have to just add in grass! There are lots to choose from that flower as well! Look for “Smart Water” plants in our perennials department.

Mulching and Ground Cover

A layer of mulch on your garden beds, trees, and perennials, can help to shade soil level and keep some of that vital moisture in. Less water will evaporate from the soil surface. It can also help to decrease the number of weeds that pop up as they don’t have access to as much sunlight!

Rain Water Harvesting

In most regions, it’s legal to harvest rain water for your garden! You can gather rain water in pretty much any container and it’s a great way to save money. If you really want to level things up in the garden, get a rain barrel! They’ve become quite popular the last few years, but if you can get your hands on one, they’re a great investment piece. They look great, can hold lots, and some models allow you to hook up hoses to create irrigation channels.