The Parkfairfax Landscape Committee advises the Board of Directors on landscape (gardening, turf and tree) issues. The committee meets the first Tuesday of every month upstairs in the “Board Room” at the Parkfairfax Office, 3360 Gunston Rd. All are welcome!
WATER-SAVING PLANTS
Parkfairfax Landscape Committee
The Parkfairfax community is looking for ways to reduce its water use. Garden watering is among the many added uses of water during summer.
Parkfairfax is a strong supporter of its gardeners for the enhanced beauty and value that gardens add to our community.
Water is necessary to maintain our trees, gardens and focal points, esp. during dry spells. Water must be available for judicious use to the gardener and to those watering trees. Gardeners are asked to avoid excess watering and watering during the heat of the day to reduce evaporation.
Some foundation plantings (larger shrubs) and low-level plantings, such as annual flowers and perennial plants, require less water and survive dry spells and droughts very well. However, all plants need to be checked regularly for watering.
The Parkfairfax Landscape Committee has identified a few of the more popular drought-tolerant plantings for our gardens:
Low-Level Plantings: annual flowers, great for summer color, usually require regular watering; some to consider for less watering are geraniums, waxed-leaf begonia, lantana, cosmos, gaillardia;
perennial drought-tolerant flowers: astilbe, bleeding heart, columbine, foxglove, butterfly weed, lilies, daisies, black-eyed susans (rudbeckia), coneflowers, coreopsis, asters, mums;
drought-tolerant plants: coleus, ferns, hosta, heuchura, liriope, mints; check garden centers, garden catalogues.
Bushes/Shrubs: drought-tolerant: forsythia, nandina, boxwood, yew, spirea, mock orange, viburnums (many kinds), laurels; non-evergreen natives such as berries, winterberry, beautyberry.
When purchasing plants, be sure to check the plant’s water requirements; ask your local garden centers for their recommendations on drought-tolerant plantings.
Photos and more information are available online through Google, through university websites and through the Virginia Extension Service (www.ext.vt.edu). The local libraries also maintain many books on trees, shrubs and plants.
All plantings in Parkfairfax, except summer annuals, must receive approval from the Covenants Committee.
Parkfairfax has published a “Garden Guide” for local gardens. The Garden Guide is available online at parkfairfax.info or hard copy is available at the Parkfairfax main office.
The GARDEN GUIDE is now available! The Guide, originally published by the Landscape Committee in 1993, is helpful to new residents and residents newly interested in designing, planting, and caring for a home garden. It contains a short introduction to gardening, offers advice on how best to garden in Parkfairax soil, sun and other conditions. It also provides lists of plants that grow well in our community and garden designs that fit well into the space available around buildings.
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