Some important terms EVERGREEN is a plant that has leaves in all four
seasons, always green. DECIDUOUS plants, which completely lose
their foliage during the winter or dry season.
Things to Remember Deciduous plants allow winter sun through and
exclude summer sun.
Trees with high canopies are useful for shading roofs and large portions of the building structure.
Shrubs are appropriate for more localized shading of windows.
Wall vines and ground cover insulate against summer heat and reduce reflected radiation.
To ensure lasting performance of energy-saving landscaping, use plant species that are adapted to the local climate.
SUMMATION OF TIPS Deciduous trees with high, spreading
crowns can be planted to the south of your home to provide maximum summertime roof shading.
Trees with crowns lower to the ground are more appropriate to the west, where shade is needed from lower afternoon sun angles.
Use a large bush or row of shrubs to shade a patio or driveway. Plant a hedge to shade a sidewalk. Build a trellis for climbing vines to shade a patio area.
Landscaping Water Conservation
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?You can design a landscape that conserves water as well as energy.A waterwise landscape can be colorful and interesting if you follow xeriscape principles.
HOW DOES IT WORK?Xeriscaping requires planning and careful plant selection, but often requires less attention and maintenance than traditional landscapes.
Watering
If you can determine how much water your plants actually need, then you won't overwater them and waste water. It is important to not only understand a plant's particular watering requirements, but also evapotranspiration.Evapotranspiration (Et) is the amount of water that is evaporated from the soil and transpired through the plant's leaves. This amount of water needs to be replaced through watering. If you know your area's Et rate, you can plan the amount of water to be replaced through irrigation. Call your local water district or cooperative extension service and ask about your Et rate. Your particular microclimate will also affect evapotranspiration in different areas of your yard.It's best to water or irrigate your plants in the early morning when evaporation rates are low. This also provides plants with water before mid-day when the evaporation rate is the highest.
XERISCAPINGXeriscaping is a systematic method of promoting water conservation in landscaped areas. Although xeriscaping is mostly used in arid regions, its principles can be used in any region to help conserve water. Here are seven basic xeriscaping principles:
Planning and design. Provides direction and guidance, mapping your water and energy conservation strategies, both of which will be dependent upon your regional climate and microclimate.Selecting and zoning plants appropriately. Bases your plant selections and locations on those that will flourish in your regional climate and microclimate. Always group plants with similar water needs together.Limiting turf areas. Reduces the use of bluegrass turf, which usually requires a lot of supplemental watering. Consider substituting a turf grass that uses less water than bluegrass.Improving the soil. Enables soil to better absorb water and to encourage deeper roots.Irrigating efficiently. Encourages using the irrigation method that waters plants in each area most efficiently.Using mulches. Keeps plant roots cool, minimizes evaporation, prevents soil from crusting, and reduces weed growth.Maintaining the landscape. Keeps plants healthy through weeding, pruning, fertilizing, and controlling pests.
This colorful water-conserving landscape requires only one-quarter the water a bluegrass lawn would use.
Xerigation - Saving Water with Proper Irrigation
Proper irrigation practices can lead to a 30 to 80 percent water savings around the home grounds. If a sprinkler system is already installed, check it for overall coverage. If areas are not properly covered or water is falling on driveways and patios, adjust the system. This may mean replacing heads, adding more heads, or changing heads to do a more efficient job.With the system on, observe places that are receiving water where it is not needed. Overlaps onto paved areas or into shrub borders may result in considerable water waste. Overwatering trees and shrubs may lead to other problems.Irrigate turf areas differently than shrub borders and flower beds. North and east exposures need less frequent watering than south and west exposures. Apply water to slopes more slowly than to flat surfaces. Examine these closely and correct inefficiencies in irrigation system design.Avoid frequent, shallow sprinklings that lead to shallow root development. Compact soils result in quick puddling and water runoff. They need aeration with machines that pull soil plugs.Trees and shrubs separate from the lawn are best watered with deep root watering devices.
Xerigation - Saving Water with Proper Irrigation
Some Plants Good for Xeriscaping Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea are tropical plants that thrive in areas outdoors with low rainfall and intense heat. For maximum blooming, they need direct sunlight for at least 5 hours per day.
Bougainvillea are drought-tolerant plants, and require very little water once established.
Senorita Rosalita Spiderflower Cleome "Senorita Rosalita" This annual bedding plant will
require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter.
Senorita Rosalita Spiderflower is recommended for the following landscape applications; General Garden Use Mass Planting Border Edging Container Planting Hanging Baskets Groundcover
This annual bedding plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application.
Asparagus setaceus
it has made a wonderful vigorous specimen against a board-on-board fence. Asparagus setaceus is composed of 8' long twining stems, adorned with soft, but bristly dark green foliage and tiny white flowers in spring. In fall, the deciduous plants are covered with tiny red fruit. So far, this has been through 7 degrees F with no adverse affects.
Best air-filtering houseplants, according to NASA
Aloe (Aloe vera) This easy-to-grow, sun-
loving succulent helps clear formaldehyde and benzene, which can be a byproduct of chemical-based cleaners, paints and more. Aloe is a smart choice for a sunny kitchen window. Beyond its air-clearing abilities, the gel inside an aloe plant can help heal cuts and burns.
Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Even if you tend to neglect houseplants, you’ll have a hard time killing this resilient plant. With lots of rich foliage and tiny white flowers, the spider plant battles benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene, a solvent used in the leather, rubber and printing industries.
Gerber daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
This bright, flowering plant is effective at removing trichloroethylene, which you may bring home with your dry cleaning. It’s also good for filtering out the benzene that comes with inks. Add one to your laundry room or bedroom — presuming you can give it lots of light.
Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii')
Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, this plant is one of the best for filtering out formaldehyde, which is common in cleaning products, toilet paper, tissues and personal care products. Put one in your bathroom — it’ll thrive with low light and steamy humid conditions while helping filter out air pollutants.
Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii)
Also known as the reed palm, this small palm thrives in shady indoor spaces and often produces flowers and small berries. It tops the list of plants best for filtering out both benzene and trichloroethylene. They’re also a good choice for placing around furniture that could be off-gassing formaldehyde.
Peace lily (Spathiphyllum)
Shade and weekly watering are all the peace lily needs to survive and produce blooms. It topped NASA’s list for removing all three of most common VOCs — formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene. It can also combat toluene and xylene.
End of Report. Thank you for listening.God bless! ö
