Below are some great gifts for that homeowner who likes to tinker in their yard and also save water. Practical gifts are always in style!

Xeriscape Guide and Irrigation Efficiency Guide: Check out the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority’s FREE xeriscape and irrigation guides that you can download for your stocking stuffers.

Irrigation Fanny Pack Maintenance drip kit: Drip irrigation isn’t rocket science. Fixes and tweaks can easily be done by the homeowner. This fanny pack drip maintenance kit ($40) comes with all the parts you need to maintain your system. The kit also contains two books: Irrigation Maintenance Made Easy, which teaches you how to make those simple fixes, and New Mexico Plants Made Easy, which features 60 plants that grow well in the Albuquerque area.

Hose watering system is great for homeowners who aren’t ready to install an in-ground irrigation system and need an inexpensive (under $100) way to water. The hose timer attaches to high-quality irrigation polypipe with drip emitters or connects to a professional landscape dripline. The irrigation dripline can stay in the ground year-round and be easily connected to an automatic in-ground irrigation system in the future. 

Smart Controller: This handy device ($100-$200) allows you to program days of the week, times of the day and the number of minutes to automatically irrigate your landscape according to seasonal weather and plant needs. EPA Water Sense Smart Controllers adjust landscape irrigation schedules using WIFI to collect weather data in conjunction with the information you provide about your plant type, soil type and other important factors that affect the irrigation schedule. The Water Authority’s irrigation efficiency specialist says, “While an irrigation controller is a must for your landscape, a smart controller adjusts your watering based on the local weather conditions.”

Learn more here:

Great Books to Read

Rebate: WaterSense Smart Irrigation Controllers

Simple Fall Maintenance for Albuquerque Landscapes