Watering restrictions are a way of life now. Most communities have them, and while you might grumble about the inconvenience, in the end, practicing sound water conservation benefits us all.

First, let’s define water-wise gardening as efficient watering practices, not desert gardening, or lawn-free gardening. Some people call it xeriscaping. In truth, you can have lush lawns and abundant vegetation in your garden, AND water sensibly. In fact, most plant problems arise from over watering, not under watering!

As you'll see, there are things you can do when planning, planting and maintaining your garden that will ease minimize the inconvenience of watching your water meter, save you money, encourage healthier plants, and be good for the environment to boot.

The experts from the Water, Use It Wisely campaign (www.wateruseitwisely.com) identify seven rules when planning your garden for efficient watering:

1. Plan and plant for shade. Hard surfaces like driveways, walls, and walkways soak up heat up like crazy, which then causes the moisture in the soil to evaporate more quickly. By locating trees and shrubs and ground covers near these areas, the shade they create will cool the surrounding landscape up to 20 degrees.

2. Plant the right plants in the right spaces. This means group plants with similar watering requirements together and in locations that lend naturally to that type of moisture. For example, plants and grass that need more water should be planted together in an naturally moist area. Low water use plants should be planted together in dry, windy, exposed locations. Grouping your plants this way makes it easier to water, especially if you are fond of hand watering. Your local nursery can help you choose water-wise plants. Another tip is to buy smaller plants rather than larger ones of the same species from the nursery. The small plants will establish stronger root systems and quickly match the size of the larger ones.

3. Improve your soil. Good soil will absorb and retain water and nutrients better than poor soil. Clay for example, is dense and absorbs water slowly, causing run off and water wastage. How do you know what kind of soil you have? Getting it tested is the best way and there are agencies in your area that can do this. As a rule of thumb, clay soil is sticky when wet, and retains its shape when squeezed in the hand. Sandy soil is gritty and absorbs and drains water quickly. It has a low water holding capacity, dries out easily, and lacks nutrients. Loamy soil retains moisture yet drains well making it the perfect soil.

4. Add mulch. Mulch is basically any kind of organic or inorganic material that slows evaporation and keeps soil moist and cool. Organic mulches include straw and shredded bark. Inorganic mulches include landscape fabric and gravel. Mulching also cuts down on weeds, which also suck precious water way from your plants. You should add a layer of organic mulch in early spring.

5. Restrict your turf or grassy areas to spots that are high use, like play areas. Grass planted near foundations, medians, slopes and service areas aren’t generally used much so maintaining turf here doesn’t make sense. If you can, try a warm season turf grass like centipede or Bermuda grass instead of cool climate fescue. When mowing your grass, mow tall, cutting no more than the top third of the grass. Longer grass slows water evaporation and keeps roots cool.

6. Choose the right irrigation system for the right area. Sprinkler systems on automatic timers do well for lawn areas. Portable lawn sprinklers that you move around yourself work well too. For borders, beds, and other plantings, a low flow drip irrigation system works best. Drip irrigation supplies water right at the roots of plants (one to four gallons per hour) with virtually no evaporation or wastage due to runoff. Drip irrigation kits for home gardens are inexpensive and great for vegetable gardens and patio containers as well. Rain barrels are another option for capturing rainwater and run off from downspouts.

7. Know how much water your plants need and how much water your garden irrigation system delivers. When you know the numbers, there’s no chance you’ll over water or waste. An easy way to measure your sprinkler water flow is to place several cups in locations covered by your sprinklers and turn the water on for fifteen minutes. Measure the amount of water in each container and calculate the average. This number is the average amount of water your sprinklers deliver in 15 minutes. Drip irrigation systems deliver ½ to 4 gallons per hour.

Here are some basic watering guidelines that you can adjust to fit your climate and soil type. Remember, when you see run off, turn the hose off. In hot and dry climates, you may have to double the watering frequency and/or applications.

• Established Lawns: 1" once a week (can be spread over two applications)
• Newly Seeded Lawns: Water until run off once a day
• Trees and Shrubs: 1" every 7 to 10 days (can be spread over two applications)
• Flowers: 1/4" to 1/2" every three to four days
• Vegetables: Young plants to a depth of 4" once or twice a week, mature plants to a depth of 12" twice a week

Leanne Tremblay is a successful freelance writer and contributor to Learn About Garden Irrigation, a resource for gardeners looking for water-wise gardening tips and information.