Landscape Irrigation – Maintaining a Beautiful Garden

Landscape irrigation is fast becoming a major area in the overall discipline of landscaping. Landscaping is the process of designing an area or tract of land with gardens, lawns, courtyards, trees, shrubs, plants and grass, etc. The idea of a beautiful home or office appeals to people and therefore landscaping is not just the growing of trees and shrubs, but doing it in a manner which results in the landscaped area looking beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.

Landscaping as a discipline started somewhere around 1598. The Dutch pioneered the landscape genre in the artistic world which later took the form of artistic sensibilities, meaning a picture of scenery on land. It has now developed many techniques and systems and is widely used to improve the look of a garden.

It is relatively easy to set up a beautiful and vibrant garden but the process of maintaining it over the years in its pristine condition is another matter altogether. The supply or availability of water is one of the most important factors, as the majority of plants rely on receiving regular watering. There are various water irrigation systems to help maintain a garden, some need a lot of water and some are quite economical in their usage.

The three most common methods of garden irrigation are:

Rainwater irrigation systems: they are the best for plants as they are free from toxins and chemicals used by the local water supply authority to treat and purify the water. Rainwater also helps in growing larger and healthier plants. A dry year may force you to use less water in line with local regulations, but harvesting rain water will allow you to water your plants adequately.

Drip irrigation systems: run continuously and for that they need power. Though it is beneficial to the plants, providing them with targeted and specialized watering (and sometimes fertilizer), it can turn out to be expensive to run owing to the cost of the electricity used by the irrigation pumps. A solar powered irrigation system helps in reducing costs and can still deliver the benefits of a drip irrigation system.

Sprinkler irrigation systems: apply water in a manner similar to rainfall. Water is pumped into a system of pipes connected to spray heads which spray the water to pre-determined distances so that it falls on the land in droplets, just like rain. In-ground sprinkler systems are an alternative to overhead sprinkler systems, and have the pipes and sprinklers buried underground. This helps to keep the garden area free of the pipes and lowers the chance of animals damaging them.

There are many variations on the irrigation systems can be used and the choice is usually based on factors such as the availability of water, local regulations, budgetary considerations and the personal preferences of the person ordering the irrigation system. Consulting a professional irrigation contractor to help design your irrigation system will insure that you get the most cost-effective solution for your landscape irrigation.