Low Water Summer Gardens If you live in a dessert community or in an area that often experiences seasons of drought or extremely dry times during the year then it is quite likely that you would be best served by considering a summer garden that requires a little less water than the average summer garden by avoiding the lush greens and big 'drinking' plants that many people prefer to keep in their gardens in favor of plants that consumer water more economically and employing water saving methods to maximize the benefit of water that is used in your summer garden. There are several things you can do in order to insure that your summer garden is water friendly and doesn't over tax water systems that are often overburdened in attempts to keep them lush and green. One of the first, and most responsible things you can do is scale back your idea of what a summer garden should be. You do not need a huge summer garden filled with lush greenery in order to make a good impression. In fact, a responsible garden that conserves the natural resources and highlights the natural plant life is often a garden that is much more deserving of accolades than one that uses too many of the limited natural resources that are available. The second thing you should do is think local rather than global when finding suitable plants for your low water summer garden. Dessert plants and flowers are accustomed to the dessert climate and can survive with low amounts of water and flourish. If you must have some of the more lush greenery or a few more exotic plants in your summer garden consider using them sparingly and supplementing your garden with local plants and flowers. Third, you should use things that aren't plants in order to fill in gaping holes in the landscaping. For this you could use rocks, stones, nice lawn ornaments and a wide array of other things to fill in the holes that you feel are left behind by the absence of greenery and create borders and boundaries for your low water summer garden. Finally, keep your lawn green by using low water grass mixes. This is a great way in almost any climate to combat drier than normal summer seasons and keep lawns lush and green without investing a great deal of time and effort watering the lawn. The savings in water costs alone are often quickly cover the cost of the investment in the new grass for your lawn and will help the focus remain on your bright and beautiful lawn to the point that many homeowners do not lament the absence of a huge summer garden. Living in an area that doesn't have the natural resources necessary to create a beautiful and lush summer garden should not eliminate the possibility of having any sort of summer garden at all. By making wise decisions in regards to the type and volume of plants to include in your summer garden you can take matters into your own hands and insure the ability to maintain a low water summer garden that will be the envy of the neighborhood. Combine these efforts with water conservation methods inside your home for amazing results and a beautiful summer garden no matter how dry the area in which you live may be. PPPPP 560