In this episode, I sit down with Noelle Johnson, aka the AZ Plant Lady and author of Water Smart Gardens, to uncover practical tips for making your garden more water-efficient without sacrificing beauty or productivity. We dive into time-saving watering strategies, the best veggies to grow in dry climates, creative rainwater collection ideas, and whether your lawn really deserves all that water.

If you're ready to grow smarter, not harder, this conversation is packed with advice you won’t want to miss!

Podcast Episode Highlights

Why water smart gardening is for everyone
How to start the transition to a water smart garden
Step One: identify your thirstiest plants
Step Two: let your plants grow to their natural size
How to help our vegetable gardens become more drought-tolerant
How to water your vegetable garden
What Noelle's garden looks like in Arizona
How often to water the garden
Thoughts on shade cloth
Best time to plant trees and shrubs for saving water
The problem with plants from big box stores
Olla watering system
Rain water harvesting
Thoughts on annual flowers and lawns
Final thoughts and tips from Noelle

Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Episode:

Learn more about Meal Craft here: https://mealcraftmethod.com/meal-craft-main177846-9453

Learn more about Noelle Johnson here: https://www.azplantlady.com/and here: https://www.instagram.com/az.plant.lady/

Find Noelle's book The Water Smart Garden here: https://amzn.to/3QebPSD

OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD:

Sign up for weekly musings from my homestead: http://theprairiehomestead.com/letter
Get my free homesteading tutorials & recipes here: www.theprairiehomestead.com
Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger
Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead
Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application

Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Please drop a comment below or leave a review to let us know. This can help other folks learn about this podcast and we also really appreciate the feedback!

S17: E6: How to Create a Water Smart Garden