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The data from Frisco’s weather station recommends no watering this week.
Time-of-day Watering Guidelines
Irrigation controllers should be set to run before 10 a.m., or after 6 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time (DST). Running your sprinklers in the early morning and evening helps minimize water loss due to evaporation.
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Based on the data from Frisco’s weather station, no watering is recommended this week due to the recent rainfall.
Time-of-day Watering Guidelines
Irrigation controllers should be set to run before 10 a.m., or after 6 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time (DST). Running your sprinklers in the early morning and evening helps minimize water loss due to evaporation.
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Overseeding is Prohibited in Frisco
Save money and water by letting your lawn go dormant this fall and winter. Overseeding your lawn with cool season grasses, such as rye and fescue, is prohibited in the City of Frisco. The exception is for erosion control and public spaces where safety is a concern. (Ordinance 19-04-34 Section 8).
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Join us for these FREE Events & Workshops! Space is limited. Learn more and register with the links below:
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As temperatures drop and garden perennials begin their transition into dormancy, help your landscape maximize the benefit from this quiet period with a few preparations for your garden’s “hibernation.”
Cover your soil. Autumn is a great time to get your soil ready for next year’s planting and winterize your home and landscape. Bare exposed soil is more vulnerable to harsh winter conditions. Cover these areas with nutrient-rich mulch or compost to allow soils to rest, as well as give them time to incorporate organic matter in preparation for the spring season ahead. Spring and summer perennials transitioning into dormancy will also benefit from the “blanket” soil cover provides in harsh winter temperatures.
Do your weeding (but let certain plants linger). Now is a good time to do any needed weeding. For best results, avoid herbicides, and pull weeds by hand. Make sure to remove the roots completely. Removing (and composting) this year’s spent garden plant material is also helpful from a house-keeping perspective, but consider allowing a few plants (especially those with dried flowers, nuts, or seeds) to remain in place to provide forage food for local wildlife during the tough winter months.
Don't overseed. As a reminder, overseeding turfgrass with cool-season grasses is not permitted in Frisco. Let your warm-season grasses (like Bermuda and zoysiagrass) “rest” before returning in the spring. Cool season perennials such as winter rye and fescue tax the soil throughout the winter, creating competition for space and nutrients in the soil, and you could potentially receive a water violation!
Cooler temperatures are also a good time to do the general tidying up around the garden. Upcycle old or broken pottery and remove garden equipment that has outlived its usefulness. Taking these few preparation steps now will mean your garden is clean and ready for planting the following spring.
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You've got questions. Normally our licensed irrigators have answers, but this week our answer is from Darell Baley, Senior Landscape Architect with Development Services.
This week's question:
I moved into a brand new home and would like to do some flower beds in the front yard. I would like some perennials which would bloom all year long. Could you suggest some, so I can plant them?
Answer:
I am happy to learn that you are interested in Perennials. Perennials have a lot to offer for our Frisco gardens and landscapes. I especially love perennials that are native to our region They tend to thrive here without a lot of help from us when they are planted in the locations that they are best suited for. I am going to start by telling you some of the reasons why I love perennials, then offer a few words of advice, and lastly answer your question by giving you some possible plant choices and other resources to turn to.
First, here are my top reasons for choosing perennials:
- Perennials come back every year from the roots and many can live a very long time, while others live a short time but easily reseed themselves.
- Perennials offer visual drama in the landscape. Even when not in bloom Perennials continue to grow and change throughout the season, many have attractive foliage, and some even look great in the winter. Annuals, on the other hand, do not change all that much, pretty, but pretty boring too.
- Perennials attract pollinators to our landscapes. Plant it and they will come. It’s exciting to see a hummingbird visit your garden, a rare butterfly, or know the bees are happy.
Now a few words of advice:
- Rather than focusing on the long blooming season focus on plants that have great foliage and have something else to offer throughout the year.
- Choose a variety of plants that bloom at different times throughout the season.
- Understand the microclimates around your home. For example, if a plant needs full sun, make sure it isn’t in the shadow of the house for most of the day.
- Focus on the late summer and autumn. You’ll be more excited about your garden if it looks great at the end of the season going into winter when everything else has fizzled out from the hot summer.
Now here are a few of my picks that will offer a long-blooming time as well as other interesting features such as foliage and winter interest. It is sort of an off-the-cuff list, not meant to be in any particular order.
- Four-nerve Daisy (Angelita Daisy) Will give you blooms nearly every month of the year.
- Turk’s cap will bloom from May to November.
- Gregg’s Sage (Slavia Gregg) will bloom from Spring to hard frost, but often has its biggest burst in the fall.
- Salvia mystic spires will give you a very long bloom period. But will be done with a hard frost, but please give it plenty of sun.
- Xexmenia will bloom from spring through fall. After September rains it often blooms in full splendor after taking a little rest during the hottest days of summer.
- Autumn Joy Stonecrop has great foliage even when not in bloom, but it is aptly named for its fall blooms.
- Aster: There are several great Asters, such as Moench Aster and Fall Aster, that will gladden the eye and the heart in the late season.
- Black-eyed Susan, it may take a rest in the heat of the season but will come back again in bloom when temperatures cool a bit.
- Purple Coneflower: This is a tried and true plant that I never grow tired of and there are many new varieties available.
- Copper Canyon Daisy. This one is one of my favorites for its wonderful fragrance and spectacular fall display, but please give it a sunny spot.
- Canna lilies have very interesting foliage but will still be blooming in the fall too.
There are many more possibilities, so give some careful thought to the planning of your beds. Here are a few resources to take a look at.
- The Demonstration garden at Meyers Park Event Center, a Collin County Park in McKinney, is a great place to see what perennials work best in our region.
- Texas Smartscape is a great site to help discover perennials that are most suited for our area while providing design tools too.
- Frisco has put together a publication for plants that work best in shady and partially shady areas in our landscapes.
Thank you for your question and happy gardening!
Darell Bagley, Senior Landscape Architect
Want your questions answered? Email us at waterwise@friscotexas.gov.
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Water levels in Lavon Lake, our primary water source, remain low. Residents are asked to continue limiting outdoor water use and follow specific guidance from their local provider regarding the timing and frequency of irrigation.
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Join us for Frisco's quarterly cleanup event on Saturday, November 5th from 8AM-12PM!
Learn more about residency requirements, time restrictions, and what items are eligible for drop-off by visiting the Chunk Your Junk website or calling Environmental Services at 972-292-5900.
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Irrigation Sprinkler Checkups - Watch for Changes coming later this year!
Conserve water and save money! Frisco's licensed irrigators offer free inspections to residents. Please be aware that our free Sprinkler Checkup program is extremely popular and there is currently a wait list going through September.
Use the myFrisco app or call 972-292-5800 to schedule your appointment.
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GPCD: Frisco's Water Statistics
The average daily water usage per person in Frisco is known as the GPCD. Calculations are obtained by dividing the total number of gallons used in Frisco by our city's population.
This week in Frisco, the GPCD was 195.
Last week, the GPCD was 212.
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2022 Water Quality Report
Frisco water meets with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards. Learn more by reviewing the Superior Rating. The City of Frisco is proud to let its customers know they receive safe, high-quality drinking water. Frisco’s water system has an Annual Drinking Water Quality Report.
To learn more about how Frisco keeps your drinking water clean, check out the City's most recent Progress in Motion video!
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