Pivot to Climate-Smart Landscaping and Smart Irrigation

The sky's turned sunny and there have actually been signs of summer creeping in, which means Oregonians are officially trading gray, soggy drizzles for long, sun-drenched afternoons. Unfortunately, the return of Oregon's beautiful summers is accompanied by an annual challenge - a summer dry spell. Keeping an expansive, resource- heavy lawn pristine through July and August is something of an uphill -and an expensive- struggle.

Luckily, the no. 1 outdoor trend this year is moving away from pristine lawns maintained by extensive water use. Homeowners are embracing landscape design as an opportunity to adopt clever ideas such as 'climate-smart' landscaping and smart irrigation systems in their landscaping projects to help them to thrive in these changeable climates through water savings and reduction in maintenance. With a bit of a thoughtful nudge, they may be on their way to enjoying the dream summer yard, too. Here is how to transform your yard into a relatively hands-free (and water-free) oasis you can relax in this summer.

1. Ditch the High-Maintenance Turf for Climate-Resilient Natives

Large tracts of traditional grass yards look clean but require mowing continuously, fertilizing heavily and watering all the time to even survive the heat of Summer. Oregon designers are creating naturalistic, layered yards that reflect the PNW climate.

When portions of your lawn are converted to climate-adaptive native plants you will have a yard that pretty much takes care of itself. 

• Best native shrubs pick plants like Gaultheria shallon (Salal) or Arbutus menziesii (Madrone) which take well to summer drought once established. 
• The pollenizer benefits: Laying of native perennials and wildflowers provides food and habitat for native bees and butterflies, turning your yard into a sanctuary for various animals. 
• Visual Depth - Instead of a flat-green swath of turf; layer of natural landscape reflects beautiful textured foliage, varied season colors and a nice organic experience like that in a resort.

2. Upgrade to Smart Irrigation Technology

Old-school timers and hose sprinklers are guilty of water waste - they will spray the sidewalk, evaporate before hitting the root-ball or fire off during a summer evening surprise shower. Modern-day watering is precise. Plants get what they need only without spiking your utilities bill, when using automated tech.

• Drip Irrigation: A drip line buries under the soil-level or runs through the plantbeds. Instead of spraying from the top, water releases right at the soil level. The result is 90% less evaporation than its counterpart overhead sprays.
• Weather-Based Controllers: If there is an unexpected cloud cover in your neighborhood, let us say or summer showers at noon time, these smart sensors will slow-back/skip the watering cycle.
• Sub-Surface Soil Sensors: These are smart sensors which sense the soil moisture levels deep under lawn/garden bed; this ensures there is never an overdose of watering and root-rot does not take its toll on plants due to overwatering.

3. Focus on Soil Health and Mulching

The climate-smart landscape starts on the ground. Soil that is geared up for hot July days is something you can do right now rather than wait. Apply Organic Mulch for a Barrier of Protection: 

• A 2-or-3-inch layer is fantastic on garden beds as it can cool the roots, deter weeds throughout summer and lockdown moisture on hot and sunny days Integrate with Organic Compost.
• Biological 'Boost': Mixing this into your compost will help boost the biological health of your compost and, ultimately, make it more water-retentive during weeks without rain.

Transitioning your yard to a climate-smart, automated ecosystem doesn’t have to happen overnight. Whether you want to swap out a thirsty lawn section for native perennials or install an efficient drip system before the July heat peaks, making the switch protects both your wallet and our beautiful Oregon environment.

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