Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays
  • Videos
  • current issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 11 Extraordinary Outdoor Travel Experiences to Try This Year

      11 Extraordinary Outdoor Travel Experiences to Try This Year

      Have you ever slept in a treehouse? Paddled by moonlight? Seen the Milky Way? We challenge you to try one of these activities. Read More
    • Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes)

      Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes)

      One has conquered the world of plant-based baking. Another runs a microbakery from her home. Two own businesses with their spouses. And the fifth is a James Beard finalist chef. The common thread? Absolutely delicious cakes. Read More
    • The No-Fail Relish Tray Recipe is Here

      The No-Fail Relish Tray Recipe is Here

      For many Midwesterners, holiday feasting kicks off with a relish tray. We dare not mess with an icon—at least, not too much. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    Des Moines' Hottest Food Neighborhoods You Need to Know About

    Des Moines' Hottest Food Neighborhoods You Need to Know About

    Korean egg sandwiches, Australian baked goods,Southeast Asian bing bing wraps—here’s an in-the-know guide to eating your way through this culinary capital.
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Family Travel
    • Around the Region
    • Beyond the Region
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    The Delicate, Spongy Basic Crepe Recipe You Can Master at Home—Plus 4 Ways to Upgrade It

    The Delicate, Spongy Basic Crepe Recipe You Can Master at Home—Plus 4 Ways to Upgrade It

    With encouragement from the owner of a Kansas City, Missouri, creperie, you’ll perfect these delicate pancakes in no time.
    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    Boost Your Home's Curb Appeal With These Ideas from a Minneapolis Makeover

    Boost Your Home's Curb Appeal With These Ideas from a Minneapolis Makeover

    With fresh paint and a terraced slope, a Minneapolis stucco goes from mousy to magnetic.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    How to Plant a Rain Garden

    How to Plant a Rain Garden

    Turn a wet trouble spot into a lush and Earth-friendly oasis by capturing the rain.
    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath

    Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath

    For this do-it-yourself spring wreath, we bundled inexpensive paper-mache eggs in fuzzy, vibrant yarn.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Tamales are a project, but many hands—even tiny ones—make lighter work.
    • Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath
    • These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing
    • Ring in the New Year with This Glam Star Garland
    • How to Make a Modern Fruit Cake Box
    • An Eye-Catching Oval Treat Box You Can Make
    • Make a Colorful Paper Raffia Wreath to Welcome Fall
    • How to Make a Dried Floral Arrangement
    • How to Make an Easy Pina Colada
    • How to Make an Amazing Pavlova
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
    • DIY Pistachio Wheat Stalks for Fall Decorating
  • current issue

    current issue

    See All current issue
    About Us

    About Us

    • March/April 2022 Issue
    • January/February 2022 Issue
    • November/December 2021 Issue
    • September/October 2021 Issue
    • July/August 2021 Issue
    • May/June 2021 Issue
    • Summer 2022 Issue
    • Fall 2022 Issue
    • Winter 2022 Issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Garden
  3. Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  4. 14 Ways to Save Water in Your Garden

14 Ways to Save Water in Your Garden

By Midwest Living editors Updated February 26, 2023
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Use landscape fabric to save water in your garden

These ideas will help you find water-wise techniques for growing a beautiful landscape.

Start Slideshow

1 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Use Landscape Fabric

Use landscape fabric to save water in your garden

Weeds zap valuable soil moisture from your plants. One of the best chemical-free ways to control weeds is with a layer of landscape fabric under your mulch. It's air- and water-permeable and easy to plant into—just use scissors or pruners to cut an X, pull back the fabric, and plant.

Related: 10 Easy Ways to Be a Greener Gardener

1 of 14

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Mulch Bare Soil

Ways to save water in your garden: Use mulch

Mulch is like a blanket for your plants. It slows evaporation of soil moisture, meaning you'll need to water less. Mulch your pots, too.

2 of 14

3 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Gauge Your Sprinklers

Ways to save water in your garden: Use a gauge

Your sprinklers are on a timer, but have you checked the water output? Place a rain gauge where it can collect water from your sprinkler. Then adjust the timer to give your lawn or plants just what they need. Most cool-season grasses need about 1 to 1.5 inches of water a week to maintain color and growth. One penetrating, weekly soaking (1 to 1.5 hours) encourages plant roots to grow down in search of water, which makes them healthier and more likely to find water without additional watering.

If you don't have a rain gauge, you can also set out cans to collect water; simply mark the inches on them or dip in a ruler to measure the water.

3 of 14

Advertisement

4 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Get Quick-Release Connectors

Ways to save water in the garden: Use quick-release hose connectors

Modify your hose with quick-release connectors that waste no water when you change attachments. One pull and you can switch to the best sprinkler or nozzle for the job. Not only can quick-release systems save water; they also save the hassle of twisting and untwisting connections.

4 of 14

5 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Grow More, Mow Less

Mow electric or reel

Don't mow too short. The cool-season grasses of the Midwest will be healthier—and need less water—if you mow higher and less often. Cool-season grasses typically do best at a mowing height between 2 and 3 inches, with the upper range best for summer. Lawns mowed at higher heights tend to have deeper roots and fewer weed problems than short lawns.

5 of 14

6 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Set a Timer

Save water in your garden: Use a timer

A faucet-mounted timer remembers to shut off your sprinkler so you don't have to. Tip: To prevent water runoff, set your timer to turn off your sprinkler, allow the water to seep in for a spell, then start watering again. Timers are available at garden centers and home supply stores.

6 of 14

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Collect the Free Stuff

Save water in your garden: Use a rain barrel

One of the most surprising things about a rain barrel is how quickly it fills, even in the lightest of rains. And the water you collect is free of city water chemicals. Connect the barrel to your downspout or use a pretty rain chain to guide the water. Most hardware stores and nurseries sell barrels.

7 of 14

8 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Grow Drought-Tolerant Plants

Ways to save water in the garden: Drought-tolerant plants like sedum

Once established, drought-tolerant plants can handle extended periods without water. That's not to say they don't need water, just less than other garden plants. A layer of mulch keeps them even happier by maintaining soil moisture and temperature.

In the Midwest, try plants such as sedum (pictured) (Sedum spp.), ornamental grasses, black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.), goldenrod (Solidago spp.), sage (Salvia spp.) and yarrow (Achillea spp). Check with your local garden center to see what's best for your area.

Related: 25 Top Easy-Care Plants for Midwest Gardens

8 of 14

9 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Avoid Double-Watering

Save water in the garden: Use a mechanical rain monitor

Problem: You set your sprinkler to water while you are sleeping, and it runs even if it rains. Solution: Use a mechanical rain monitor that detects when it has rained and overrides your automatic system.

9 of 14

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Adjust Sprinklers Properly

Save water in the garden -- adjust sprinkler heads

Adjust sprinklers so they water the lawn and not your driveway, the street or sidewalks. Check your system periodically to see if the sprinklers are still aimed at the right areas and if any spray heads need to be repaired.

10 of 14

11 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Keep Hoses in Good Repair

Save water in the garden: keep hoses in good repair

Changing out weather-hardened O-rings is a simple fix for leaky hose ends. Or treat yourself to a new kink-resistant hose; you won't waste water while you stop to straighten out your hose. While you're at it, try a new hose holder to keep your hose tidy and in good shape.

11 of 14

12 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Time It Right

Save water in the garden: Time watering wisely

Water in early morning to reduce evaporation from sun and wind and also to decrease the potential for diseases.Not sure whether you need to water? Walk across your lawn and see whether the grass springs back or whether you can still see your footprints. If you can see your footprints, it's time to water.

12 of 14

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Try Drip Irrigation

Save water in the garden: Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation of landscaping beds—slowly applying water directly to plants' root zone—doesn't waste a drop through evaporation and prevents molds that can develop with droplets on plant leaves. Purchase easy-to-install sets at any garden or home center.

13 of 14

14 of 14

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Consider a Prairie-Style Yard

Prairie plants
Credit: Benjamin Vogt

Some Midwesterners are saving water—and promoting wildlife—by returning their lawns to a more natural, prairie-style landscape. Benjamin Vogt and his wife, Jaclyn, did this at their Lincoln, Nebraska, home, and now champion prairie planting through a blog, online classes, books and a landscape design business, Monarch Gardens.

Related: Why You Should Consider a Prairie-Style Yard

14 of 14

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Midwest Living editors

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 14 Use Landscape Fabric
    2 of 14 Mulch Bare Soil
    3 of 14 Gauge Your Sprinklers
    4 of 14 Get Quick-Release Connectors
    5 of 14 Grow More, Mow Less
    6 of 14 Set a Timer
    7 of 14 Collect the Free Stuff
    8 of 14 Grow Drought-Tolerant Plants
    9 of 14 Avoid Double-Watering
    10 of 14 Adjust Sprinklers Properly
    11 of 14 Keep Hoses in Good Repair
    12 of 14 Time It Right
    13 of 14 Try Drip Irrigation
    14 of 14 Consider a Prairie-Style Yard

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Midwest Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    14 Ways to Save Water in Your Garden
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.