Springtime Landscaping

It’s that time of year again.  The Landscape Awards are back!  The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) is now accepting applications for the 2005 Landscape Awards. The Landscape Awards recognize both homeowners and landscape professionals who have designed attractive landscapes featuring water-smart plants, trees and shrubs.  

To enter the Landscape Awards, simply send in an application with four to six color photos of your landscape.  Applications are available online at snwa.com or by calling the Conservation Helpline at (702) 258-SAVE.  All projects must be within the SNWA’s service area of Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Laughlin and unincorporated Clark County. 

Applications are due April 13. Winners of the 2005 awards will be announced at an awards ceremony in July. For a peek at last year’s winners, visit snwa.com.

With spring around the corner and summer on the way, watering restrictions are changing.  The spring watering schedule is presently in effect and will last through April.  Residents and businesses can only water on the three days a week assigned to their watering group. 

Watering groups A, C and E:  Monday, Wednesday and Friday

            Watering groups B, D and F:  Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

Sunday is not an optional watering day. The SNWA recommends watering grass areas three times per day, four minutes each watering.

Now is a good time to aerate your lawn to help your grass survive warmer temperatures.  Aeration, or poking holes in the ground, helps nourishment and water travel to the roots.  Aeration also decreases runoff, which means the water will end up in the soil instead of on the sidewalk.

If you’re not looking forward to another season of mowing, watering and aerating your lawn, you may want to consider upgrading your yard to water-smart landscaping.  Spring is the perfect time to make the change. Water-smart landscaping saves water, money and time.  Plants, trees and shrubs that are adapted to arid climates require significantly less water than grass and most water-efficient landscapes require less maintenance.

If you’re ready to upgrade your landscape, be sure to apply for the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s Water Smart Landscapes rebate program.  You could earn a $1 for each square foot of grass you replace with water-smart landscaping.  Be sure to enter the program before you remove any grass.

For more information on the Water-Smart Landscapes rebate program, Landscape Awards or watering restrictions, visit snwa.com or call the Conservation Helpline at (702) 258-SAVE.