Xeriscape gardening event teaches water conservation

Wai, or fresh water, is the most important resource to sustain life. Clean, fresh water right from the tap is so precious that we need to do all we can to conserve it, use it wisely and keep it safe and clean.

Many of us received notices recently from the Board of Water Supply about the condition of the Navy fuel tanks at Red Hill. The board alerted customers that there have been leaks at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and that the groundwater in the aquifer, 100 feet below the tanks, had already been contaminated.

The board will be testing the water to ensure the safety of customers supplied by this aquifer, which includes residents from Moanalua to Hawaii Kai. Read more about it at 808ne.ws/1fOz5np.

The Navy needs to take action now to clean up the leaked jet fuel and repair the tanks. If they can’t be repaired right away, drain the fuel tanks. Move them off of our major Oahu aquifer! Stop studying it, and take action.

When a species fouls its own nest, that spells extinction.

For years the Board of Water Supply has carefully managed our water and taught us to conserve. Some of the best ways are xeriscaping; selecting the right plants for your garden and watering them the right amount. A fun place to learn more about water conservation is the Annual Halawa Xeriscape Garden Open House and Unthirsty Plant Sale.

The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 1 at the garden, 99-1268 Iwaena St.

An abundance of less-thirsty plants will be offered by Halawa Xeriscape Garden volunteers and nurseries. Ask the growers any questions you have about how to cultivate them and find out if they are suitable for your garden. Some of the featured plants are the beautiful coral plant, the mini agave with its spectacular bloom of color, and the scaredy cat plant, which emits an odor that wards off cats.

Gardens evolve and change over time, and the Halawa Xeriscape Garden is well designed and always has something new to teach us as we stroll through it. One new feature is the compost bin area, which Boy Scout Travis Moriwaki and Scouts from Troop 49 refurbished to create three sample bins, along with educational signage. The display makes it easy for home gardeners to mimic one of these methods in their own backyards.

Call 748-5041.

Heidi Bornhorst is a sustainable landscape consultant specializing in native, xeric and edible gardens. Reach her at heidibornhorst@gmail.com.