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We won’t know if all the scurrying around by state officials in NY and NJ will prove to be a series of smart moves or a huge waste of resources and undo fear rattling till hurricane Irene passes by. One thing for sure if nothing was done and it turns out that this storm does damage in those two states the Mayor of NYC and the Governor on NJ would have been run out of office on a rail.

I’m not sure what officials here in NH and across the border in VT are doing to get ready for all the rain and high winds being forecast but I’m sure they have crews on-alert. About all we can do on our own is to make sure we have extra water put aside and some food that does not require cooking or refrigeration, we all know many in New England will lose power for many hours as the storm passes through.

On a brighter note, this morning I ran across an article titled  Sonoma Garden A Showcase detailing how a community center reduced their water bills by 70% by rethinking their lawns and plantings. Here’s an excerpt.

“Today, the huge bills and the thirsty lawn are gone, replaced by a garden designed to use 70percent less water by introducing drought-tolerant native plants and efficient irrigation. The garden doesn’t just save water, it’s also sustainable, intended to have little long-term effect on the environment.”  Read the whole article Sonoma Garden A Showcase.  

Have a great and safe weekend everybody.

Related posts:

1. Lots of Rain in New England
2. New Hampshire’s Rainy May

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We are lucky here in the Northeast when it comes to abundant water and unlike many parts of the country we rarely experience drought or rationing of water as they do in many other parts of the country.

I thought I would bring up this topic since we are heading into the July and August hot weather when we use lots of water not only to keep us healthy and happy but also to keep our prized landscaping healthy and happy.

I came across an article from an online paper located in Ala and thought I’d share some of the thoughts about water savings with you. In the article they ask a number of questions that may be something we can ponder as we go about our week.

• Why do we flush toilets with clean drinking water?

• Why do we not capture and recycle rainwater off buildings?

• Why do we over-irrigate our lawns to the point of runoff or right after a thunderstorm?

• Why do we spend money on bottled water when the tap is already paid for?

• Why do we trash up roadsides leading to streams and eventually lakes and groundwater — our sources of drinking water?

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Unlike many areas of the United States, New England rarely goes through extend droughts and as many New England residents can attest we often get more rain then we need. March 2010 dumped record amounts of wet all over the region. New Hampshire’s Southeast coastal towns got more rain then at anytime since records have been kept, and Manchester’s neighbor Concord saw its fifth rainiest March on record. If all this rain had been snow Portsmouth and Rochester would in all probability still be shoveling snow.

Many residents in New England are reacquainting themselves with the old practice of capturing the rain in large barrels to use for watering their vegetable and fruit gardens. Water cost money but putting in a little effort you can capture it for free. Over at the DIY Life site they have instructions for building your own rain barrel. You can also buy rain barrels and rain collection systems that will integrate quite nicely into your landscaping plans, why there are even rain barrels that look like big rocks. Do a search online for ideas or you can check out Rain Tank Depot for their products or just for more ideas.

All this water does not mean we should keep our sprinklers on 24 hours a day. There is a movement in many of the dry states called Xeriscaping which is low water use landscaping. Xeriscaping utilizes less grass and shrubs replacing them with more rocks, sand and ornaments. If you want to know more about this water saving way of landscaping check out our article on Xeriscaping here. It is not just about saving water but time and money as well. The less area you cover with grass the easier it will be to mow and the more time you will have to lay out in the hammock.

You might find adding a Rain Gauge to your landscaping will add an interesting conversation piece to your backyard along with a record keeping activity the whole family can involve themselves in. There are rain gauges that look like birdbaths and some can be confused with small fountains.  A well placed rain gauge made of cooper or granite can add a touch of beauty and that final touch to your landscaping masterpiece.

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