Water Harvesting

Many entire regions and states are currently undergoing watering restrictions. This is not just due to local shortages of a temporary nature, although, in some cases, that is entirely possible. The fact of the matter is, is that this will become more widespread the closer we become to realizing what a finite and ultimately limited resource this will become as time goes on and our populations increase. The squeeze on local resources has occurred in many different locations, owing to problems with politics or with general inaccessibility. Aquifers once considered unlimited have turned out not to be that at all. It is becoming more evident that we are reaching an end to unlimited amounts of water.

The implications are ominous. Much modern technology is being focused on solutions but Nature has her own ideas. While even those areas currently stressed face a need to a more efficient usage of this valuable resource, it does not yet rule out garden watering. In fact, it is hardly likely that it ever will, owing to how gardens are such food producers and are seen also as essential as a component of recreation and leisure.

What is does leave us with is a need to comprehend how it affects us who want to garden and landscape. We find, therefore, a need to maximize the application of water in the most efficient and least wasteful manner, in short. So that begs the next question: Are there ways of doing this? Thankfully, there are a wide number of ways to increase our optimization of water usage - some from taking advantage of the newer technologies based around irrigation and others utilizing some of the oldest and lowest technologies imaginable.

• Water Harvesting: Low Tech Solutions (rain barrels, ponds & catchments)
• Water Harvesting: High Tech Solutions (converting lawns)