First day of Fall

Today marks the first day of autumn and it is so great that the temperatures took a dip to really make it feel a bit like fall in San Antonio!

Now that we have some cooler temperatures, it is time get planting!  I know we have mentioned it before but wanted to remind you that SAWS is still offering a $100 coupon if you replace 200 sq ft of lawn with water saving plants.  They have a great website that have sample landscape designs you can use with drought tolerant plants.  This is a great autumn weekend DIY project that will save you money on your water bill AND $100 rebate!

For more information, http://www.gardenstylesanantonio.com/coupons-rebates/

For our past posts on the rebate, http://preferredlandscape.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-saws-watersaver-landcape-coupon.html

NEW website offers great advice!

Earlier this month, SAWS launched a new website, Garden Style San Antonio.  It offers tools, tips and techniques on landscaping in San Antonio.  This is a great site for a DIYer or anybody who is looking for ideas.  Check it out at  http://www.gardenstylesa.com

Festival of Flowers

This weekend is the 14th annual Festival of Flowers.  This is a gardening event that you don't want to miss. It is Saturday, May 24th from 9-5 at the Alzafar Shrine.  This is a one stop shop for all things gardening including a city-wide plant swap.

You will have the opportunity to hear seminars from leading experts in the gardening industry as well as an opportunity for one-on-one questions at the Ask the Experts booth.  You can also pick up a free water-saving plant at the SAWS booth.

Visit http://safestivalofflowers.com/wpfof/ for more details!  We hope to see you there.

Spring Bloom this Saturday

SAWS will have their annual Spring Bloom event this Saturday from 9-1.  It is located at SAWS headquarters at 2800 Hwy 281 North.  The event is free and offers different speakers and seminars on many topics related to gardening and landscape care.
They also have a plant propagation
table, hands on container gardening demonstrations, plant sale and food trucks.  For more information, please visit the SAWS website at http://www.saws.org/latest_news/NewsDrill.cfm?news_id=964

Featured in the San Antonio Express News

We were so excited to be consulted on a recent article featured in the San Antonio Express News on water features.   The following is a link to the article:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/lifestyle/home-garden/article/Water-features-are-both-appealing-and-legal-5096123.php

The article describes the benefits of having a water feature and the different options available.  It also discusses the recent SAWS changes that have made owning a water feature easier.

Free Rain Sensor

Our customers can receive a free rain sensor for their irrigation systems!  Preferred Landscape and Lighting is waiving our installation fees and SAWS is providing a free wireless rain sensor.  To apply for the program, go to  http://www.saws.org/Conservation/Outdoor/RainSensors/.  Once you receive the coupon, give us a call at 210-657-7737 and we will get you on our schedule.  The program continues through March 1, 2014.

Why is SAWS and Preferred offering this great opportunity?

All in-ground irrigation systems – both residential and commercial – are required by city ordinance to have a functioning rain sensor. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many are nonfunctioning or missing despite the legal requirement.

A functioning rain sensor can save a lot of water, benefiting both the customer and the community. In fact, a rain sensor can save between 20 to 30 percent of your annual water use.

That's why for a limited time, SAWS is offering a WaterSaver Rain Sensor Coupon good for a free wireless rain sensor and $60 toward the cost of installation through a participating licensed irrigator. This program gives those with older systems (installed prior to Jan. 1, 2012) an opportunity to bring their system into compliance and to verify water savings when a high-quality rain sensor is provided

Irrigation Advice from SAWS

SAWS sends out a great newsletter with really useful tips on how to conserve water and care for your San Antonio Landscape.  The following is a link to an article they sent out last week that had some great information about changing your irrigation settings on your controller.

 http://www.saws.org/conservation/newsletter/enews/issue.cfm?id=299

 In case you can't follow the link, the following is an excerpt:

 "At this time of year we encourage you to just turn off your irrigation system and run it manually on the few occasions when watering is recommended.

Consider your landscape's watering needs:

•          Plants are preparing for dormancy. This means they don't take in as much water and the rate at which moisture evaporates from the soil is significantly less than it was just one month ago.

•          Roots continue to grow at a snail's pace during dormancy. Apply mulch to conserve existing soil moisture and help protect plant roots from freezing temperatures.

•          The cooler, wetter weather is usually sufficient for our soon-to-be-dormant lawns. Any additional irrigation – especially during certain times of the day – only encourages the growth of fungi."

If you have any questions or need any help, please feel free to give us a call and we would be happy to help.

Reminder from SAWS

The following is an email SAWS sent out this morning and we wanted to pass it along.  If you need help resetting your irrigation controller, please let us know!

"SAWS Conservation are seeing a lot of commercial properties that obviously have not changed the controllers back to CST.  A word to the wise should be sufficient……"

Looking for inspiration?

This Saturday, Oct. 5, nine unique, water-savvy landscapes will be showcased from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the annual WaterSaver Landscape Tour. It's self-guided and best of all — free!
Every year the tour focuses on urban and suburban landscapes designed for low maintenance and low water use. Some of the features they share include: drip irrigation, native plants, colorful drought-tough perennials and little-to-no lawn space. Most importantly, each landscape offers simple ideas that can be incorporated into any South Texas yard.
Some of the more interesting features this year include:

• Neighbors working together to create sweeping landscapes that benefit both yards.
• Plant combinations that flow seamlessly from sunny areas to shady areas.
• Mash-ups of whimsical art and drought-tolerant plants.

At each stop, the Gardening Volunteers of South Texas will serve as tour guides.
The landscapes were selected through a nomination process in late summer. The tour is sponsored by San Antonio Water System, San Antonio River Authority and the Gardening Volunteers of South Texas.

For more information, check out the website http://www.watersaverlandscapetour.org/2013tour.html

The SAWS WaterSaver Landcape Coupon program is back just in time for fall!

After a scorcher of a summer, fall is the perfect time to replace your lackluster, high-maintenance grass with something more vibrant (and less needy).

And just in time, the WaterSaver Landscape Coupon program returns with new fall offerings. The two package options — full sun or full shade — will be available Sept. 15-Nov. 30 to SAWS residential water customers.

To get the $100 coupon, you must replace 200 square feet of grass with a drought-tolerant garden bed made up of 15 low-water plants from a specific package. More ambitious gardeners may apply for two coupons to remove 400 square feet.

Some new and exciting aspects of the fall edition include:

• New plant choices including lavender, shrimp plant, Texas persimmon and tough-yet-beautiful Earth-Kind roses!
• A full shade package will be offered, appropriate for homes where very little sunlight makes it through the tree canopy.
• The mulch purchase is no longer required at the nursery where you buy your plants. However, you still must apply 1 cubic yard (about 14 standard bags) of mulch — organic or crushed granite/rock — to the new bed. You can even make your own using leaves, wood chips or rocks as long as it is 2 inches deep.

Don't forget that if you have an in-ground irrigation system, you will have to cap the spray heads in the bed before planting. By doing this, you may also qualify for our newly streamlined Residential Irrigation Design rebate.

In addition to the 15 drought-tolerant plants, each package will include a garden bed plan and a plant care guide.
 For more information, http://www.saws.org/Conservation/Outdoor/Coupon/

Stage 3 Water Restrictions are looming for San Antonio

Last week, the mayor of New Braunfels announced stage 3 water restrictions based on the quickly dropping Edward Aquifer.  Under the new limit, watering is only allowed every other week.

SAWS looks at a rolling 10 day average to make their determination which was just above the limit last week.  However, we have dropped almost 2 feet since last week making stricter restrictions a likelihood in the near future for San Antonio.

In stage 3, every other week there will be a restriction on all irrigation systems, sprinklers and soaker hoses.  This will have a significant negative impact on your landscaping if you currently rely on a traditional irrigation system.

However drip irrigation will be allowed Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays during the restricted week as well as hand watering will be allowed every day.   Stay Tuned - next week our posts will focus on drip irrigation and explain the benefits it provides for both your landscaping beds and turf.

Hurry - Deadline quickly approaching for $100 coupon!

We wanted to remind everybody about the WaterSaver $100 coupon that is available until July 31st.   Apply for a $100 coupon by July 31 to swap out a swath of your lawn for a drought-hardy, colorful garden bed.

The WaterSaver Landscape Coupon pilot program encourages SAWS residential water customers to transform portions of their traditional lawns by removing grass and creating garden beds made up of hardy, drought-tolerant plants.  SAWS has simplified water-wise landscaping by using a plant-by-numbers approach. Qualified SAWS water customers will receive a $100 coupon toward the purchase of a pre-planned, garden bed package at participating retailers. There are two plant package options: full sun and partial shade. Each package includes 15 drought-tolerant plants, 1 cubic yard of mulch, a garden bed plan and a plant care guide. The coupon covers a portion of the plant package cost.

For more information or the application, see SAWS website at http://www.saws.org/conservation/outdoor/coupon/

Lawn Mowing Tips for San Antonio Lawns

I loved a recent article from the SAWS Water Saver newsletter that offered tips on how often and how high you should mow your lawn.  The following is an excerpt of the newsletter written by Mark A. Peterson and the full article can be viewed at http://www.saws.org/conservation/newsletter/enews/issue.cfm?id=282

Mow High, Mow Often

"Of all the suggestions and recommendations you may hear, there are two key factors that will help make your lawn more drought-tolerant: mowing height and mowing frequency.

Although a variety of mowing heights are recommended for each turf species, our rule is always to mow at the high end of the range. In general, the higher the mowing height, the deeper the roots; and the deeper the root system, the more drought-tolerant the turf becomes.

The best adapted turf grass species for our area include:

•  Bermuda — Unless you're mowing a putting green or sports field, we suggest mowing it at 2 inches.

•  Buffalo and all native grasses — Mowing twice a year is sufficient for native grasses; set the mower at the highest setting.

•  St. Augustine — Maintain the mower level at 3 inches

•   Zoysia — A mowing height of 2 1/2 inches is ideal.

Just as important as how high you mow is how often. Turf responds favorably to frequent mowing. The general rule is to never cut more than 1/3 of the total blade. This roughly translates to a once-a-week mowing schedule."

$200 landscape coupons available!

San Antonio Water Systems (SAWS) is offering customers $100 coupons on landscape materials if you replace lawn grass with drought tolerant plants.  The Watersaver Landscape Coupon will start this Saturday at the Festival of Flowers. 

To receive the coupon, you need to do the following:
1.  Apply for the coupon with SAWS.  Online applications will be available 6/1 or you can call 210-704-7283.
2.  Once application is approve, customer will receive $100 coupon which can be used at a participating nursery.
3.  Replace 200 sq ft of lawn with 15 plants chosen from a list of drought tolerant plants.
4.  You must also cap any automatic sprinkler heads in that section of the lawn and use at least one yard of mulch.
5.  You can apply for up to 2 coupons if you are planning on doing 400 sq. ft.

SAWS offers two plant lists; one for shade and one for sun.  Each list contains several plants in three different categories; small evergreen, spreading perennials and large shrubs.  To qualify for the rebate you need to include at least three varieties of plants, one from each of the categories.  The specified plants need only hand watering to get established, then little if any water to survive. 

"We are trying to lower people's upfront costs and give them the opportunity to get a significant discount off the materials they need to make a transformation in their landscape," according to SAWS conservation director Karen Guz.

If you are up for a DIY landscape project, the rebate offers a great incentive to transform a patch of your grass into a beautiful xeriscape bed that will save you water.

Updated Water Restrictions for 2013

 

Despite the recent thunder storms that have been rolling through our area, we are still under Stage 2 water restrictions. SAWS has made some changes to the restrictions this year we wanted to make you aware of:

1. Landscape watering with an irrigation system, sprinkler or soaker hose is allowed only once a week from 7-11 a.m. and 7-11 p.m. on your designated watering day, as determined by your address.

2. Watering with drip irrigation or 5-gallon bucket is permitted any day, but only between 7-11 a.m. and 7-11 p.m.

3. All residential fountains and indoor commercial fountains can operate at any stage of drought.

4. Residential car washing allowed during drought once per week on Saturday or Sunday as long as there is no water waste.

For more information and complete listing of all the restrictions , please visit SAWS website at www.saws.org.

Preferred is in the News!

Preferred Landscape and Lighting was featured on San Antonio's KABB Fox News in regards to the anticipation of tighter water restrictions this summer.  The link below will take you to recap of the story as well as the newsclip.  To see the clip, click on the picture at the top of the article.

  

Click to view news interview featuring our own David Dunne

For the next few weeks, the blog will focus on what you can do now to ensure a healthly landscape for the forecasted dry conditions.

 

For more details on the water restrictions, visit www.saws.org.

SAWS Rebate

Yesterday, we announced SAWS new rebate for both residential and commercial customers for the purchase of mulch and compost. 

Attached is the link to SAWS websites with the details. 
http://www.saws.org/Conservation/Rebates/

New Rebate from SAWS!

SAWS recently announced a new rebate program for their residential and commercial customers for purchases on mulch and compost.  The program is temporary and all rebate requests must be postmarked by December 31, 2012 to qualify.

Program Details:

Residential

2-5 yards = $75 rebate

Over 5 yards = $150 rebate

Commercial (minimum of 5 yards)

5-10 yards = $200 rebate

over 10 yards = $350 rebate

You may purchase mulch and compost to qualify for two rebates.  You may spread product yourself or use a contractor.  The rebate is given as a credit to your SAWS account once the customer provides original receipts. 

This is a great program is a great incentive to get your yard winterized.  If you would like Preferred to help take advantage of this program, please give us a call at 210-657-7737.

Stage Two Water Restrictions Looming for San Antonio...

The following is an email we received this morning from the Conservation Project Coordinator at SAWS...

"Stage 2 will probably be declared on Monday, April 30^th .  Please contact your customers and arrange to change their controllers if they have not already done so.  Stage 3 is a definite possibility later this summer.  Again, permitted hours for Stage 2 are 3 am – 8 am and 8 pm – 10 pm, one day a week.

Also, there has been some confusion on the New Landscape Variances.  Variances are not automatic.  They are given to newly built houses and commercial buildings, major renovations resulting from unforeseen events like utility construction or re-grading due to soil slippage.  Drought is not considered unforeseen.  They are not necessarily given to vast expanses of 100% turf replacement or to small beds or sections of turf (“Beautification landscape projects do not qualify for a variance...Replacing or adding plants or turf to existing, established landscapes is highly discouraged and generally will not be granted a variance unless extenuating circumstances exist..”). 

We want to take this opportunity to encourage you to speak to your customers on the benefit of not replacing turf and rather going to expanded beds or hardscape.  These will receive more favorable attention for variances and are options less likely to die once again during this continuing drought.  We also want to encourage a dialogue with you on ways we can get the message out on not replacing 100% turf, i.e. more media information, expanded rebates, etc.  We are looking for any suggestion right now.

Contact me if you have any questions or comments."

Mark A. Peterson

Project Coordinator – Conservation

SAWS

Stage One Water Rules Reinstated for San Antonio

Although the region enjoyed a mild and wet winter, aquifer levels never fully recovered and once again San Antonio’s J-17 Edwards monitoring well has dropped to 659.7 feet. With this news, San Antonio’s City Manager Sheryl Sculley announced that Stage One demand management rules are in effect.

“Pursuant to City Ordinance, the city manager must declare Stage One,” said San Antonio City Manager Sheryl Sculley. “Based upon the recommendation and in consultation with SAWS, Stage One is in effect.”

“San Antonians are accustomed to the impacts of our semi-arid climate,” added Sculley. “We appreciate their support of water conservation while the region awaits the next rainfall.”

Stage One of the city’s drought plan is triggered when the official daily level of the Edwards Aquifer drops to 660 feet or below at the J-17 monitoring well. According to the city’s Aquifer Management Plan ordinance, to end Stage One the level must return and stay above 660 feet for 30 days.

“Thanks to the water smart ways of San Antonians, our city was able to weather the drought last year,” said SAWS President/CEO Robert R. Puente. “It’s reassuring to know that we’re prepared and have the methods and resources ready, even during dry weather.”

“While we have an ample supply of water from the Edwards and other sources, state law requires us to cut back on pumping when the Edwards Aquifer reaches certain levels,” continued Puente. “Our neighbors around the Edwards region are subject to the same law, so our actions are a cooperative effort.”

Under Stage One, outdoor watering with a sprinkler or irrigation system is allowed only before 10 a.m. and after 8 p.m. one day per week, as determined by the last number of your street address:

• 0 or 1 – Monday
• 2 or 3 – Tuesday
• 4 or 5 – Wednesday
• 6 or 7 – Thursday
• 8 or 9 – Friday

Watering days begin and end at midnight; overnight watering is not allowed. Water waste, such as water running down the street, is prohibited year-round. However, watering with a handheld hose, soaker hose, or drip irrigation is still allowed any day, any time.

Source: http://www.saws.org/latest_news/NewsDrill.cfm?news_id=829