tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11736717.post-74743908896902703502008-03-19T14:39:00.002-04:002008-03-19T14:42:39.599-04:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">Planning and design</span><br /> ⁃ Attend some seminars, read up on the topic and try to get some expert opinion on how to go about the process.<br /> ⁃ Group plants with similar water needs to create distinct watering zones<br /> ⁃ Place least drought-tolerant zone closest to a water source , be it dappled shade or near a water feature.<br /> ⁃ If your yard is sloped use terraces and rain gardens to minimize runoff and erosion. Terraces over 12 inches will require some kind of support.<br /> ⁃ Incorporate water feature into highest water use zone. Try to get it into a shade area to reduce water loss from evaporation. Try using dwarf trees or shrubs to create dappled shade.<br /> ⁃ Use most drought-tolerant plants in southern or western exposures.<br /> ⁃ Minimize use of rocks, plastic and sand in high heat areas. These simply raise temperatures and cause runoff problems.<br /> ⁃ Try to plant in the fall when it's cooler and plants need less water to become established.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=northcountrym-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=27&amp;l=qs1&amp;f=ifr" width="180" height="150" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>North Country Maturing Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00803012130487483902noreply@blogger.com0