Garden Buzz: Fall is for Planting!
By Adele Pittendrigh
Autumn is a great time to plant, especially if you are putting in plants that require less water. The City of Bozeman has a long list of drought tolerant plants and offers a rebate to City residents who buy them for their yards or remove turf to plant foliage that does well with less water.
The City of Bozeman implemented permanent outdoor watering restrictions this spring. The City website says Bozeman averages 16” of precipitation annually and is considered semi-arid and drought prone. 80% of its water comes from snow run-off in the Gallatin Range and the other 20% from a developed spring at the headwaters of Lyman Creek in the Bridger Range. The City says that without conservation of water, Bozeman could be facing water shortages within 15 years.
Bozeman offers a rebate program for turf removal, upgrading sprinkler systems, and using drought tolerant plants. For more information, go on-line to Bozeman Landscape Rebates. Eligibility is based on whether you use City water on your landscaping.
Although only people who reside in the City are eligible for the rebates, those who aren’t eligible can still benefit from planting drought tolerant plants and replacing turf. The City plant list makes it easy to find native and other water-smart plants. Best of all, replacing turf and planting native plants that require less water is a good way to conserve water and attract birds and pollinators to your garden.
Correction: The author of September’s “Garden Buzz” article was misidentified. Our thanks to Adele Pittendrigh for writing this column!
