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Whether you're landscaping a yard or you're creating brand new flower beds, one of the basic things you should plan for and decide in advance is what type of watering system you'll use. Many new gardeners are so happy to have new plants and garden supplies, that they simply start putting everything into the ground without much thought about how well the location and preparation will work for them in future months or years. When this happens though, watering can become a real chore over time if it hasn't been prepared for in advance.
Some flower bed locations for instance, may not be easily accessible by your garden hose. If this is the case, you'll need to find alternative ways to water the flowers in that bed if there isn't enough natural rainfall to take care of the job for you. The same applies to landscaping too though: Some parts of your yard might not be easy to access with a standard water hose, and the grass in that area could shrivel up and die if you don't carry buckets out to it regularly.
An excellent way to solve this problem though, and help save on your home water bill at the same time, is to install an automated or semi-automated watering system in your yard or garden bed areas. Here we'll look at three popular options:
1. Sprinklers - These are usually the most inexpensive way to make sure water is reaching as much of your yard and garden areas as possible. Sprinklers can be purchased for less than ten dollars at most discount department stores, and you simply screw your water hose into the end, set the sprinkler for the coverage you want, then place it in the proper location of your yard. There are of course, more elaborate and expensive underground sprinkler systems that can be installed if you prefer.
Sprinklers water your grass and flowers from the top down, and they can be left on for as long as you'd like to make sure you're giving your plants a good solid soaking. In certain parts of the United States, you'll need to run your sprinklers in the early morning though, to be sure that the water has plenty of time to dry and evaporate before nightfall. This will help prevent rot and mildew on your lawn or flowers.
If however, you live in a very hot area of the country, you risk burning your grass and flowers by watering them during the day. Very early morning usually works fine most of the year, but during the hottest seasons it's usually safest to water in the evening instead.
2. Soaker Hoses - Soaker hoses will leak water slowly to the plants, flowers, bushes, trees, and grass that you place them close to. Soaker hoses can be laid on the ground or buried slighly, and they provide a slow release of water to the areas you have them positioned in. Soaker hoses look like water hoses but when you turn the water on, you can see it starting to seep out of the entire length of the hose. These are excellent for using to conserve water, because the water is able to soak into the ground around your plants instead of evaporating into the hot air. They're also a great way to give your plants deep watering on a regular basis.
3. Drip Systems - Drip systems work very much like soaker hoses do. The main difference though, is that instead of water seeping out of the entire length of the hose, it will only drip slowly from pre made holes located at spaced intervals in the hose. These can be useful for making sure water is going only to the plants you want it to go to, and not being wasted on the empty spaces between your plants.
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