Water Gardens and Water Conservation

Photo of Tricia Edgar, Copyright Tricia Edgar 2008

Posted by
Tricia Edgar
May 4, 2009

Water gardens are beautiful, but in these days of increased concern about water conservation, are they a thing of the past? Not necessarily.

Many conservation-oriented gardeners practise water-wise gardening. This practise involves choosing plants that work well in a particular garden space and in a particular area. For example, placing a fern in a bright, sunny location may cause it stress, since ferns often love moist, shady areas. Often, water wise gardening is just common sense. Native or indigenous plants are often a good choice, since they are well-adapted to the local environmental conditions. For example, in a desert climate gardeners can explore the wide variety of succulents and other plants that work well in dry places.

However, pond and wetland plants want water. How can gardeners accommodate the needs of the plants and reconcile this with the need to conserve water?

First, garden gadgets can be designed to conserve. Use solar, if possible. Purchase fountains and waterfalls that recycle and recirculate water, and place them in areas where the water won't evaporate on hot summer days. Purchase garden items specifically designed to conserve water, such as a rain barrel.

Got a small portion of the yard that is always soggy? Instead of placing a pond or a wetland garden in another area of the yard, put it in a wet spot. Or use swales and other landscaping techniques to create a slope in the yard that ends in a rain garden.

How about turning the home pond into a wetland to recycle water that has been gently used in the home? Industrial and municipal water systems now use wetland reeds and other plants to remove excess nutrients and heavy metals from water, making it useful for watering plants or even washing a car.

Water gardens don't need to use excessive amounts of water. In fact, they can create vital urban or suburban homes for animals and conserve, treat, and recycle water at the same time, becoming a star of the conservation-minded garden.