Steve Snedeker’s Landscaping and Gardening Blog

From this article:

“Raising irrigation water efficiency typically means shifting from the less efficient flood or furrow system to overhead sprinklers or drip irrigation, the gold standard of irrigation efficiency. Switching from flood or furrow to low-pressure sprinkler systems reduces water use by an estimated 30 percent, while switching to drip irrigation typically cuts water use in half. A drip system also raises yields because it provides a steady supply of water with minimal losses to evaporation. Since drip systems are both labor-intensive and water-efficient, they are well suited to countries with a surplus of labor and a shortage of water.

A few small countries—Cyprus, Israel, and Jordan—rely heavily on drip irrigation. Among the big three agricultural producers, this more-efficient technology is used on 1–3 percent of irrigated land in India and China and on roughly 4 percent in the United States.

In recent years, small-scale drip-irrigation systems—virtually a bucket that relies on gravity to distribute the water through flexible plastic tubing—have been developed to irrigate small vegetable gardens with roughly 100 plants (covering 25 square meters). Somewhat larger drum systems irrigate 125 square meters. Large-scale drip systems using plastic lines that can be moved easily are also becoming popular. These simple systems can pay for themselves in one year. By reducing water costs and raising yields, they can dramatically raise incomes of smallholders.”

Drip irrigation increases the productivity of water usage to more than 70% over the above-listed current standards which apply in surprisingly many places. More importantly, in terms of landscaping, drip irrigation and adaptations of garden and landscape design, alternatives are being sought to limit the more water-hoggish elements of our landscaping past.

One very major beneficiary of attention is obviously the famous “English Model” – great wide expanses of gorgeous and green grass. In the more recent relocation of millions of Americans, for example, to thriving Western cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas and Reno, criticisms of desert towns having monstrous amounts of grass are completely accurate in their condemnation. Inasmuch as these water worries are local, it is even more the case.

Personally, I have prided myself on adhering to some of these tenets, then even enlarging on them. Yes, I have installed large pieces of grass for clients in Reno and in California towns where water is becoming short-handed. I have had my own issues with finding alternatives to grass, personally, especially since I so admire all a great lawn can accomplish in terms of literally changing the micro-climate of weather inside a home’s individual envelope. Grass lawns cool things down; they evaporate, of course, and push moisture into the air in non humid climates; they look fabulous and are fun to walk on, sit on, lay on and play on. And, having said all that, I know lots of dudes who are utterly macho about having “the most killer lawn in the neighborhood”, lol. I do know these men and they are numerous!

This is great for Kentucky, where taking one’s chances on rainfall irrigating such water-intensive stuff can generally be relied on. But. Even they are facing some drought conditions which have led to some scary fears. Atlanta, Georgia faces the results of their most recent drought with trepidation. They failed to allow for this possibility in their water-planning and now face huge issues. My point is this – we all have some responsibility in a wiser use of the resource of water.

Let’s Review – This is a Kentucky Highway

And this is a Nevada Highway:

Big difference.     Note the lack of grass in the lower photo.

It would be useless asking Americans or Australians to not want gardens outside their homes. Them would be fighting words, anyway. The notion of beauty and of simple enjoyment is an issue which few would give over to any government body. For another thing, food gardening saves us money and grants us a known fruit or veggie with that famous maximum taste and which grows from fertilizers and nutrients and soils of which we are totally aware. When we bite into a Red Delicious Apple or into some gorgeously rich-tasting Yellow Grape Tomato – or when our asparagus finally makes it onto our tables after a few years of cultivation – we have a product of our own labors and a foodstuff we actually earned and which – by almost any criterion – tastes better than those mass-produced suckers we get from the store, sold by appearance in a small selection of variety.

So where do we all go?  Nevada?

Next, I will show how landscaping is adapting to the newer realities and will provide an explanation of how simple and easy converting to drip irrigation can be. The uses of drip irrigation can surprise us, as well, including automated watering of such things as hanging baskets.

Yes, it is wrapping up. As if things were not rushing to the inevitable pushy behavior of Summer with more Sun and heat than we imagined possible in January, last night we got visited by near tornado conditions. Big huge winds, some hail, lots of pounding rain just beating the heck out of all those late-hanging blooms. Summer may be arriving with an exclamation point!

Nevertheless, I promised something – blooms of Spring, the “final days” – so, with that ominous designation, I will traipse forth with those remaining stragglers (don’t believe that for a second).     They actually look pretty proud. I dare say, my ‘hood continues to kick bloom butt.

(click any image to enlarge)

The Exbury Hybrid Azalea above is one oversized sucker but whose random poke of itself over and above the mass below it, just begged for some photographic attention. So?  I gave it some.

This charming small rhododendron sits at the front door of a local condo and I have always been captivated by its two color bloom.

For 11 months of the year, the rhodies featured blow bedecking this small home in a truly splendorous show of bloomage, are an unremarkable, if generally comely bit of green. But when it comes bloom time, these guys are in a class by themselves. This picture really needs enlarging to fully appreciate just how spectacular they can be.

Other yards as well had their shady rhodies still showing off – and in some of the more exotic colors which tend to bloom late..

The lushness is almost ridiculous, occasionally, such as this place, below. So easy to grow here, they just get bigger and more reliable yearly.

I was caught by the color of this baby last year. It’s a very cool orange and pretty much at its peak right there.

Here’s a happy rhodie!

The deep shade canopy allowed these dogwood trees to bloom later than normal. The pink in the foreground and a gorgeous white in the background make a stunning small tableau, hard by soime apartment complex parking lot.

Meanwhile, back to the local rhodedenrons -

It’s honestly quite a show.

Rhododendrons have adapted to the American North West like a native plant. They thrive and adore it up here. All those hybrids developed in England and now Canada and the US are paying huge dividends opf uncommon beauty. Yes, there are native rhodies here – typically purple-blooming. And, yes, they sure do well. But the ones we are seeing dosplayed here are almost all unviersally hybrids, most actually stemming from genetic permeations of Rhododendrons from Nepal and China.

Getting tired of these yet?  OK, here;s one more. That’s it!

The 80 degree days are here. Portland’s legion of homes without air conditioning is about to experience Summer in often-grueling ways, including my own. After leaving Reno – where air conditioning or “swamp coolers” is the closest thing to automatic, my adopted town gets delirious when the Sun finally comes out and doesn’t even sweat their lack of A/C. They are all out somewhere, soaking up Sun like those insanely efficient Paper Towels.

But Spring has hung in like a dirty shirt, too. Rhododenrons, azaleas and Hawthorne trees are sending out their belated gifts even amidst the Solar carnage of heat and welcome sunlight. My neighborhood once again becomes the palette we gather our data from.

(click all images to enlarge hugely)

You’ll recall that Double File Viburnum I had my eye on for a while. It has expanded in marvelous and charming ways into a real bit of eye candy.

Big, nearly naturalized and untamed as heck, I am hoping they let this absolute gem grow even more wild as the years go by. It’s a perfectly delightful plant who is obviously more than pleased about its location.

And there are other weird gems abounding around here too! How could I leave this bad boy out? Honestly, I adore this behemoth of a Rhodie with its three colors and “in-your-face” style, sitting prominently on a corner. It always gets a smile!

All these “late arrivals” at the Spring Fest around here prolong the festivities in an incredibly satisfying way. They seem to buy into the notion that Spring is one of the Natural Wonders that make life itself exciting and optimistic. Here are other pretty doggone terrific blooms, suitable for smiling and all within 3 blocks of my place:

A Hawthorne Tree on a busy thoroughfare -

Pardon the intrusion but I cannot get enough of the process of rhodies bearing blooms and how they get there.

Early Peonies are busting out and flexing their substantial blossom muscles -

Gorgeous early Irises look absolutely spectacular this time of year -

This stunningly lush mismatch of Hawthorne and Maple and an Oak is a gift owed to a wonderful neglect! Enlarge this one and enjoy just a plain old luscious scene. Who cares about its supposed propriety? Sometimes, stuff is just plain pretty.

Here the little Clematis with an “I think I can” attitude.

We’ll keep a close eye on this Honey Locust this Summer season. Now this person is what I call someone who “pays attention”! Modeled after the English Model of garden design and care, I think it has a lot going for it. I secretly love these very attended-to gardens. (Driveway looks like heck, though  

I have featured this home before. To me, this home may be one of the most typical examples of taking advantage of the local climate and Flora. The huge third growth Doug Firs and Hemlocks straddle and shade an otherwise extremely eye-pleasing and very pleasant garden. This place has balance, perspective and tons of color. The Spring Bloomers here are just the best there are.

I’ll wrap this up. In fact, I’ll do two parts. I have a bunch more I don’t want to waste and I am thinking more here would be overload.