Calgary's water restrictions no problem for drought-resistant gardens

As the City Calgary gradually eases outdoor water use restrictions, experienced gardeners like Melanie Isles remain unfazed by the changes thanks to their self-sufficient, drought-resistant gardens.

"I grew up in Calgary, so I'm well acquainted with what our weather systems are like. I've always gardened organically," said Isles, who lives in the southwest community of Southwood.

"I started learning about permaculture principles and so working with what we have.… I know we actually get a lot of rainfall here. It's just that it comes in really short and heavy bursts and we waste it."

The solution? Designing a system that retains as much water as possible without watering the plants.

Apart from a couple of individual plants that Isles and her husband planted last year, the couple hasn't felt the need to water anything yet.

How does it work, though?

Isles has set up 1,000-litre rain totes that collect rainwater from the roof. She has created pathways, known as swales, to make the entire process easier.

"In the garden, there is … a big swale that the rainwater overflows into. So it's 18 inches deep and about 18 inches wide and it's got weeping tile in it," she said.

"So the rainwater comes off the roof, goes into the swale and slowly seeps into the ground. Whereas because we have short and solid rain events, usually, in Calgary, if it's compacted ground or grass, it just washes away."

The goal is straightforward — get the water to seep into the ground little by little instead of allowing it to go down the storm drains.

Exploring alternative options

Lora Malowany, a horticulturist with Garden Retreat, believes that more and more gardeners are now looking for ways to maintain their lawns with alternative, drought-resistant options.

"There are more drought-tolerant grass species.… People are slowly maybe doing larger areas of brown cover, maybe not totally getting rid of grass, but we're moving there. I think that's the way to do it," she said.

Malowany suggests using tricks like converting grasses into ground covers and turning to more drought-resistant options to maintain their gardens.

"If the ground is covered, there's less evaporation. So you can actually have a full … perennial border bed. You're not watering a lot because the sun isn't, you know, reaching the soil to actually evaporate water in the soil."

Starting small

However, exploring the world of drought-resistant plants can feel intimidating — something that Isles understands.

"I know it was hard. I'm, you know, part of some gardening groups and people were panicking about their gardens when the restrictions were at their height. But like, because of the way we've set stuff up, I wasn't worried," she said.

Isles, who has been gardening for over two decades, has a few tricks up her sleeve that can help those who want to give drought-resistant gardening a shot but don't know where to begin.

She suggests starting with the basics and turning to native plants that are known to thrive in Calgary.

"Start with just a few plants that you really like in a spot that they're gonna grow well and easily, and then start slowly expanding from there. It's usually what I recommend to folks," she said.

With a few tweaks and some experimentation, you'll likely be able to explore a variety of options.

The trick is to keep experimenting and learning to discover what sticks.

Isles has managed to grow plenty of perennial foods and over 150 medicinal plants so far. She reckons it's a great way to get her kids interested in eating vegetables such as green beans.

And if you're wondering whether Isles's unconventional approach to gardening has paid off, it sure has — the gardener has received plenty of positive feedback. 

"I mostly get compliments from people walking by," she said. "I've stood in the neighbours' front yards to see what it looks like, and they've all said that it looks beautiful and they like watching it through the season.

"So yeah, that's what we were aiming for. It's wild, but we love it."