With: Living Cities Yards Waterwise 101 Participant, Daphne Hendsbee
1. How did the Living Cities Yards Waterwise 101 program fit into your life? (i.e. Why did it appeal to you?)
I’ve been trying to learn and make waterwise choices for my yard since moving to Lethbridge in 2018. I had taken some horticulture courses online through Olds College and read books on drought-tolerant landscaping, but I needed a push to actually make changes. The Waterwise 101 program gave me the structure and information I needed to feel like I could make this change successfully.
Two aspects of this program were really unique. First, it was awesome to meet others from the community who wanted to make waterwise changes to their yards. Second, Amber put basic landscaping principles into context for the challenges we see here in Lethbridge (that’s you, WIND).
2. What was the first drought-tolerant landscape step you took?
My first step was to take a walk around my yard. I tried to focus on an area that I would enjoy more if it looked nicer and would also catch more water if it were landscaped. I tried to keep the project small so that I can expand that area in the future.
3. What has been your biggest challenge? What was the most fun?
My biggest challenge has been finding the time to actually complete the project. I have two small kids, childcare commitments, and work, so it’s been tricky. I do my landscaping in twenty minutes chunks here and there when I can fit it in. I changed the location and reduced the scope of my project to make it more manageable, but still ran into some unexpected delays.
The area I’m working on was a “zero-scape” of river rock with landscape fabric under it, next to a deck, on a slope. It took WAY longer than I expected to remove all the rocks and get down to the landscape fabric so that I could remove it and make the garden bed more level. There were so many rocks mixed in with soil that had settled on top of the landscape fabric over the years, all mixed in with grass and weeds. I had to remove it all manually. It was worth it though – the soil underneath looks great and already has a lot of worms!
The most fun part of this project has been finding ways to get my kids involved. They loved choosing plants, digging for worms, and finding ladybugs. We also talked about why we’re choosing drought-tolerant plants and how it relates to the natural environment around us. It’s a good way to start a bigger conversation about our role as stewards of the water in our landscape and a hands-on way for them to learn. I love watching these big ideas “click” when we’re out in the community and my kids start asking questions about plants, soil, and water.
4. What would you tell others about committing to making waterwise changes in their yards? What has been the most helpful thing you’ve learned?
I think many of us are intimidated by making waterwise changes. It can sound complicated, expensive, or overwhelming. That is definitely be true for a big project. And not everyone can make larger changes to their landscape even if they want to – for example, if you rent.
The main thing I hope others can take away from this is that making small changes is valuable and achievable. You don’t have to xeriscape your entire yard in one shot. Maybe it’s as simple as watering your lawn less often or mulching your garden. Maybe you can get a rain barrel. Maybe you can remove a small patch of grass and plant native wildflower seeds. If we all take a few small, imperfect steps to be more waterwise, it will have a big impact.
The most helpful thing I’ve learned was how to manage a yard with a slope. My backyard has a significant slope and I had never thought of how that affects the way water moves through it. Now that I’m factoring that in, it’s really changed how I see my future landscaping projects. (Now that I’ve started, it’s easier to keep making changes.)
5. What is one wish you have for Lethbridge when it comes to conserving water?
My wish for Lethbridge is that we all continue to learn about water conservation and the steps we can take in our daily lives. A little goes a long way 🙂