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Use resources wisely to conserve more water

By MARY COLLISTER
Published May 26, 2006

The rain we had earlier this month was fantastic. I don't remember being that excited about seeing rain for a long time. That one downpour did green up a few lawns, so with more rain I hope to see more landscapes recovering.

Hillsborough County residents (this doesn't include those living in the city of Tampa) have been asked to voluntarily restrict their watering to one day a week. If this doesn't work, we can expect to see mandatory one day a week rationing.

I would encourage everyone to adhere to this voluntary schedule.

I have rain barrels and use this water for my containers and newly planted flowers that need watering more than one day a week.

I was literally at the bottom of the barrel before our most recent rain. I even get stingy with that water, using it only on those plants that absolutely have to have the supplemental water. Hopefully our rainy season will start soon.

Although irrigation is one of the biggest household uses of water, there are other ways to save water also. Try to cut down on water by using your washing machine and dishwasher only when full, and limit those long showers we sometimes indulge in! If you wash your car at home, use a bucket instead of the hose and if you do use a hose, make sure you have a nozzle on the end to regulate the flow. Even after the rainy season starts, we all need to condition ourselves to use less water.

With it being so dry, my petunias are quickly succumbing to the heat. I pull those out that look badly and will wait for the portulaca to fill in that was planted among the petunias. The portulaca loves the hot, dry weather and is quickly growing and covering the bare ground vacated by the petunias. Those that are in the areas that received more water (especially when establishing the new sod) are still looking good and will probably give me a couple of more weeks of blooms.

The gardenia near the front door is in bloom and especially in the evening fills the air with its sweet scent. I enjoy bringing in a few blooms and floating them in water in the house. It gives me the opportunity to enjoy their perfume even more. The one drawback to the gardenia is the short bloom season. I wish the flowers were longer lived. The bush with its dark green, shiny foliage does add to the landscape also.

It's heating up now, so our long days in the garden may be limited. I do most of my work in the evening, when the temperature is a little more comfortable. It's important to stay on top of those little items in the garden, such as weeding and pinching back your flowering plants, so they don't become unmanageable in the summer heat. Enjoy a few evenings of just leisure also. Don't make all your garden time work related.

[Last modified May 25, 2006, 16:14:08]