My Garden | Preserving Water 1

   We live in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada. Only 41/2 hours drive east of the Pacific Ocean 
A portion of our Valley is desert, with a native dry land bush being the prominent plant.
The main part of our Valley outside of the desert area is wetter. Including the snow season, we have a precipitation average of 11 inches per year. This past winter season the snow did not come while on the Atlantic Ocean coast there was an overabundance of winter snow and cold. This will really affect the Garden

   For some time the focus of  maintaining one's yard with the least amount of water possible, has been at the forefront. With water demands from a rapidly increasing population and the increasing frequency of dry hot summers, we need to err on the side of caution in our water use.
   Water meter data indicates there is a huge increase in domestic water use during the gardening season. In 2009 the average single family use was 217 litres/day/person in winter.  And in summer, 670 l/d/p. The simplest way to conserve water is to reduce landscape irrigation.
   The most sustainable and successful way to garden is to create landscapes that use very little water so that when water restrictions come, you and your landscape are prepared. That is how we become the efficient Gardener.