Mar 18, 2007 9:35 pm US/Central
North Texans Learn To Keep Their Lawns Green
Stella Payne
NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Despite a healthy amount of rain earlier this year, North Texas is still dealing with a major drought.
In Plano, hundreds of people have turned out for a series of water conservation classes to find out how they can help the environment.
Homeowner Tom Riggs has only lived in his new Plano home for a month. He's still working on the landscape design.
"I just want to make sure that we have plants that can survive the climate," Riggs said. "I can water them minimally, and they can still do well."
Water restrictions are still in place in many North Texas cities. Plano is showing homeowners how to conserve water and still keep their lawns healthy.
Rudy Murillo moved to Plano from El Paso. "The plants here are different from El Paso," he said. "Here it's a little more humid, and we are concerned about the water situation."
The Texas SmartScape organization says homeowners must learn how to use efficient irrigation and plant correctly.
The key is to find plants that are heat tolerant. Plants like the Knock-Out Rose and the Indian Hawthorn are two plants that will survive the Texas heat.
With the clay soil in North Texas, homeowners are encouraged to water deeply in order to maintain healthy plants. But, you only need to water them once or twice a week.
"For the city of Plano, people need to observe and conserve," said Lorrie Reeves, Water Education Coordinator. "They need to be aware of the real water needs of their yard."
Homeowners are encouraged to use mulch around their trees and plants. The mulch will protect the plants from the heat and help with water retention.
(CBS 11 News)
