Water conservation, drip irrigation & the beauty of native plants:
Lessons learned from the drought of 2002
The Old West Durham Neighborhood Association hosted an
informal, hands-on workshop that demonstrated how to lay down an automatic
drip irrigation system and explored the beauty of NC native plants.
Folks learned how to 1) set up an automatic watering system using only one outdoor spigot, 2) lay soaker hose, and 3) maximize the use of native and drought-resistant plants to conserve water.
More than 70 participants first viewed a garden with a working automatic soaker hose system on Carolina Avenue and then went to an adjacent yard to observe the placement of a drought-resistant watering system using soaker hose, Y-connectors, and automatic timers.
The free workshop also offered an opportunity to answer questions about gardening with native plants, native plant sources, starting a butterfly-attracting garden, and incorporating edible plants into the landscape.
Benefits:
* Water conservation measures help gardens look beautiful even in drought conditions (and saves money too).
* Setting your yard on a timed-drip irrigation system allows you to go on vacation in the summer heat and return to a green and healthy yard.
* The use of native plants in NC gardens cuts down on water use, staking, and fertilizer. Native plants enhance the beauty of your yard, come back bigger and better each year, and create habitats that encourage butterflies.
For more information, see the Herald-Sun article below.
How does this garden grow? Very little water
(Herald-Sun, 7/14/02)
As a doctor specializing in breast cancer, Victoria Seewaldt grew all too familiar with death and dying.
The Duke physician remembers coming home from her long days in residence at the University of Washington in Seattle and needing an escape.
"I needed to go home and deal with something living," she said.
So she started planting.
She and her husband, Eric Dietze, started with a few potted plants.
Then the two got jobs at Duke and moved to Durham with their 5-year-old daughter, Erin. They bought a house on a spacious lot, a blank canvas for the amateur gardeners.
Today, more than 400 plants grow in their miniature botanical garden.
But even with an estimated $10,000 invested in trees, shrubs and other plants, the couple doesn´t even flinch at the word "drought." Water restrictions recently adopted in the Triangle were a way of life for them in California and Seattle.
"One summer, there was no external watering allowed at all," Seewaldt said.
And so the two learned gardening techniques that conserved as much water as possible.
They replaced the grass in their yard with mulch. They sought out native plants from local nurseries. And they shunned sprinklers in favor of buried hoses that deliver a slow, steady drip.
Consequently, the family´s yard at 901 Carolina Ave. has remained fresh and green throughout this arid spring and summer. Robins flock there to munch on worms. Mosquitoes abound.
Neighbors have noticed the yard´s unusual lushness, Seewaldt said. And now Seewaldt and Dietze are trying to teach others what they learned from living with a meager water supply.
"The whole business of water conservation is very common on the West Coast, but people in the South haven´t really considered it," said Seewaldt.
The issue probably won´t go away even if and when the rains return. Other cities in the Southeast, such as Atlanta, are struggling with water demand that constantly exceeds the supply because of rapid development.
The best way to change habits, Seewaldt says, is through leading by example.
"We´re hoping to teach our neighbors what we´ve learned," she said.
Much mulch
The rich garden the couple now boasts didn´t start out so beautiful. For four or five months, the two covered their yard 3 inches deep in cardboard.
"Our neighbors were very patient with us," Seewaldt said, describing the cardboard boxes that littered the yard.
On top of that went 6 to 8 inches of mulch, topped with pine needles.
Dietze estimates a few hundred yards of hose weave under the mulch. Water seeps out slowly into the soil instead of evaporating or blowing off the lawn as with traditional sprinklers. The hoses are connected to automatic timers.
Most of the plants are native to North Carolina, one of the keys to helping the garden survive during dry conditions.
Seewaldt and Dietze heeded each plant´s needs, determining whether it flourished better in shade or sun.
They also tried to avoid over-fertilizing, letting the plant overcome its enemies naturally.
"It´s like our bodies," Seewaldt said, "If we get a cold, our immune system fights it off.
Wendy Wenk, greenhouse and nursery manager for the N.C. Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill, said there are a number of native drought-resistant plants to choose from.
Wildflowers like black-eyed Susan, butterfly weed and Joe Pye weed flourish in dry climates. Seewaldt has all three in her yard.
Other native plants that can survive drought include asters, several types of indigo, sneezeweed and a variety of spices, such as rosemary and thyme. Plants like the scarlet rose-mallow bloom bright red flowers during dry conditions.
"It´s so beautiful, and you´d never believe it´s native," Seewaldt said, eyeing the bloom in her yard.
The plants require regular maintenance during the first year, which includes irrigating deeply every week to 10 days, Wenk said.
But after that, the plants can survive on their own with nature´s watering.
"It just involves choosing the right plant for the right spot," Wenk said.
It also means avoiding plants considered invasive to North Carolina´s natural habitat. Plants like kudzu or Japanese honeysuckle compete with native plants and overtake them, eventually disrupting the balance of the habitat.
The beauty of going native
More homeowners are realizing the benefits of putting native plants in their yard, said Ken Moore, assistant director of the N.C. Botanical Garden.
But developers are still razing land and covering it with concrete at enormous rates, which will only increase the amount of water being wasted.
The more concrete and buildings, the better chance water will run off and be wasted instead of being absorbed into the ground and replenishing wells.
True water conservation will be possible when homeowners and developers try to work with the existing landscape and preserve existing vegetation, Moore said. It takes acknowledging that native plants can be just as beautiful as exotic ones.
Seewaldt, Dietze and their daughter Erin have realized that. Along with developing a love for North Carolina´s plants, they´ve adopted the Southern tradition of enjoying the flora from rocking chairs on their front porch.
"For us as a family, this whole thing is close to our hearts," Seewaldt said.
Many homeowners, in their attempt to keep a green, well-manicured lawn, don´t have the same appreciation for the beauty of the state´s native plants, Moore said.
"Everyone is trying to keep a Martha Stewart, picture-perfect garden, and I find it so sad," he said. "I just want to be in the woods —- that´s a true garden."
courtesy of the Durham Herald-Sun
