For example, standing with a water hose and a spray nozzle watering your lawn is both time-consuming and ineffective, since the lawn is not getting a deep soaking. If you follow timing guidelines, water sprinklers do an excellent job of deep watering. Adjust the sprinkler position as each area of the lawn has been thoroughly soaked. For shrubs and flower beds, soaker hoses deliver deep watering over a few hours. The most efficient way to thoroughly water shrubs, flower beds, vegetable gardens and container gardens, however, is with a drip irrigation system hooked directly to your hose.
Drip irrigation sends water straight to a plant's roots with virtually no loss to evaporation.
Mulching shrub beds, flower beds and vegetable gardens results in dramatic water savings. Most people use wood chips, shredded hardwood and softwood bark, grass clippings, and tree leaves as mulch. A mulch cover 3 to 4 inches deep will significantly reduce evaporation loss and prevent unwanted weeds from sprouting in your garden. Remember not to pile mulch too high against the base of a tree or shrub to avoid deterioration of the outer skin layer that may damage or possibly kill it. Your local municipality may even offer mulch on a pickup basis at no charge or a nominal fee.