SG555: How to Grow a Gorgeous Garden Using Less Water with Pam Penick

Let’s give folks an overview of all the great work you’ve done in the field of gardening

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When it comes to the Garden Blogger’s Fling, who were the original four who founded it?

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I thought it would be great to establish a foundational mindset for our conversation today - your book is an appeal to gardeners everywhere to honor water. I thought your opening paragraph was a perfect way to start our talk – why don’t you read it for us

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How is it that a water-saving garden translates so beautifully into a garden with staying power?

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There are five parts to your book. Part one of your book would start with a tour of 7 inspiring water saving gardens – this section was a thrill for me. Let’s chat about some of the innovative and thoughtful highlights from each of these 7 inspiring gardens.

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Part Two is devoted to practical tips and techniques for saving water. You start by encouraging gardeners to save “that liquid gold”.

There are a couple of points here I’d like for you to expand on:

First, plants prefer rainwater to tap water.

Second, when it comes to our properties, we fight an inherent barrier most folks don’t even consider: “our yards are designed to shed water”.

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You walk gardeners through how to create a rain garden. Let’s go through this together.

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There are some terms that I thought would be productive to review with you that are in Part Two of your book:

Curb Cuts

Berming

Microbasins

Swales

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Part two also covers paving as means to saving water. I’d love to have you read the introduction on page 59, where you start by recognizing the valuable role of paving in the garden.

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I listened to an interview you had done last year, and you said, “Paving is an invitation to come out and use your garden”. That is so true. You highlight four paving options in your book, let’s go through them!

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Part two wraps up with the water-saving work of protective shade in a garden. In this section, you also feature shade sails. They were new to me! Introduce us to them and then let’s chat a bit about the powerful practice of minimizing wind in the garden.               

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Part three of your book is all about plants, You start out with a suggestion to “lose the lawn” in the first paragraph on page 115. Why don’t you read it and then I’d love for you to share some of your favorite lawn substitutes.

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In part three, you introduce this wonderfully descriptive design concept: ripple-zone planting. What is it and how can gardeners use it to design their 2017 water-saving gardens?

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Part four just may be my personal favorite part of your book – Creating the ILLUSION of water in the garden. Gardeners who have mastered the art of illusion when it comes to water in their garden always inspire me. I’d love to hear your take on the highlights in part four.

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Part five offers 101 plants for water-saving gardens. I simply have to ask you about one I know you have – and that’s Moby – your whale tongue agave.

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You dedicated your book “to those who see”. I thought it would be fitting to close our conversation today by having you describe the vision you had in mind when you wrote those words.

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