50-60% of your monthly water consumption happens for your landscape. Beautiful as it may be, your water bill can double or triple due to outdoor watering during the summer.

Use these no cost and low cost water saving tips to reduce your summer water consumption, be mindful of CA’s drought conditions, and save money on your utility bill.

Don’t over water.

Turns out that 3-6 minutes at a time is enough for the plants to get the water they need. More than that and it’s just runoff.

Adjust your irrigation controller often.

Water only when needed. General rules of thumb: Summer watering every three days; half of that during Autumn (unless it’s unusually warm); irrigation systems go off during the Winter.

Move turf away from sidewalks and pavement.

No matter how hard you try, concrete doesn’t grow. Plant shrubs or groundcover next to pavement and water with a drip or bubbler system. That eliminates runoff from turf sprinklers.

Replace turf with water-efficient shrubs and groundcover.

In areas where grass isn’t utilized, doesn’t grow well, or is too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping like native or drought tolerant plants.

Apply a layer of mulch around your plants.

Mulch reduced evaporation from the soil and keeps weeds to a minimum.

Water early in the morning.

Watering between midnight and 6am keeps evaporation to a minimum. Even late evening, the ground may not have cooled off for maximum absorption.

Thanks to the City of Palo Alto Utilities for the information.

Check out the front yards in your neighborhood. What is your sense of the people who live in the houses?

Curb appeal is often talked about in real estate circles. So it always surprises me when custom homes fail to incorporate landscaping into their design. First impressions are made with houses as they are with people.

Landscaping is “very important” to 20% of buyers (per National Association of Realtors research). Or how about U.of Washington’s research that landscaped lots sell for about 7% more.

By the way, real estate appraisers view the neighborhood as well as the individual structure in determining a house’s value. So, be sure to thank your neighbors for boosting the value of your home.

If you need a landscaper in Silicon Valley or nearby counties, contact me for some excellent referrals.

Hey, the Obamas are doing it. My 7-year old enjoys it. If you’re ready to save money, help the environment, and create your own stimulus package — just look outside.

An edible landscape can provide you with fresh, healthy produce without the environmental impact that shipping food creates.

Here are some delicious ideas for your landscape project:
• Incorporate fruit trees, fruiting vines, edible plants, and vegetable gardens.
• Add perennial vegetables and herbs.
• Create space for rabbits, chickens, or other livestock.

Of course, only plant food crops if you’ll pick and use the produce. Too much zucchini or overflowing with apples? Share with your neighbors or donate the excess to feed the hungry.

Thanks to the Sustainable Landscape Standards for these ideas.