degradation (Frank, 2000), reduction Domestic Gardens as Water-wise Landscapes: and degradation of water supplies A Case Study in Southwestern Europe (Otto et al., 2002), and habitat loss and fragmentation (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000). Rafael Ferna´ndez-Can˜ero1,3, Jose´ Ordova´s1, The residential landscape has be- and Miguel A´ ngel Herrera Machuca2 come a significant portion of the urban environment. Many new residential areas, characterized by low-density de- ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. private gardens, xeriscape, best management practices, velopment, are based on single-family sustainable gardening, garden irrigation houses with private gardens, both of which are relatively small in size, but SUMMARY. Spain has undergone a period of uncontrolled urban expansion in a relatively short time-span, affecting people’s quality of life in negative ways with which, when considered jointly, make significant impacts on the environment and land resources such as water and energy. a substantial contribution to urban Many new residential areas have low-density development, based on single-family green space (Gaston et al., 2005) and houses with private gardens. These gardens are usually relatively small in size, but have an important impact on the local when considered as a whole, they make a substantial contribution to urban green environment. spaces and have an important impact on the local environment. Although this Spain has a rich historical heri- includes a large variety of benefits, gardens demand a significant quantity of tage with a mixture of cultures, and it resources, including irrigation water, which is also important and should be taken is home to some of the most beautiful into account. This paper analyzes features and management practices in domestic and ancient European gardens in exis- gardens, their relationships to garden design, and the attitudes of owners with tence. Today, however, Spanish gardens regard to more sustainable alternatives. In addition, the main features of private gardens are examined. For this study, in-person interviews were conducted with presentsomesignificantproblems homeowners who possess domestic gardens in the region of Aljarafe in southern with regard to design and maintenance, Spain. The features of the gardens surveyed proved to be highly variable and related including an inadequate selection of to several factors, such as the area of the gardens. Results seem to indicate that plant species (it is not unusual to find owners are reluctant to implement measures to lower water consumption in garden tropical plants requiring excessive wa- irrigation, apparently because of a lack of knowledge regarding more sustainable ter consumption), the misuse of pesti- design alternatives. Homeowners who had prior knowledge of the principles of cides, poor management of organic xeriscaping were significantly more open to applying these principles in practical waste, and the indiscriminate crea- ways. tion of turf areas (Domene and Saurı´, 2003). n the past, southern European than compact cities with high-density The rise of single-family home cities were compact, with moder- models (Pare´s-Franzi et al., 2006), gardens has also increased water con- Iate levels of environmental impact. so sprawl processes pose an enormous sumption in cities (St. Hilaire et al., However, over the past few decades, environmental challenge. This phe- 2010). This fact is especially impor- Spain has experienced an important nomenon is not exclusive to Spain tant in southern Europe, where the urban and suburban sprawl process or southern Europe (Dura-Guimera, Mediterranean climate is character- (Dura-Guimera, 2003), character- 2003), but is also common to many ized by periods of drought coinciding ized by a lack of integrative planning. metropolitan areas in the world, es- with the hot season, during which Strong territorial imbalances and im- pecially in certain regions of the United water consumption reaches its peak, portant changes at the socioeconomic States (Southworth and Owens, 1993). as a result of increased demand in level occurred during this period that The current processes of urban urban areas and because of tourism resulted in landscape transformation. growth and urbanization are environ- and agriculture (Pare´s-Franzi et al., This process often led to low-density mental challenges that require opti- 2006). Concerns about domestic development (Benfield et al., 1999), mizing the ways in which natural water consumption are increasing in diffuse city models, and the typical resources are managed and used (Pare´s- Spain. A study conducted in Madrid, characteristics of Anglo-Saxon town- Franzi et al., 2006). Numerous studies Spain, concluded that homes with planning, with attending negative en- have examined the implications of ur- a garden consumed, on average, be- vironmental impacts (Leo´n, 2003). ban sprawl and have identified multiple tween 2.5 and 4.5 times more water The low-density model has proved negative impacts it has on almost all than houses without gardens or flats to have a greater environmental impact environmental parameters (Camagni in the same town (Heras, 2003). An- et al., 2002). These include air quality other study conducted in Barcelona, The authors greatly appreciate the contributions of A´ lvaro Go´mez, Manuel Jesu´sGo´mez, Alberto Noriega, and Marı´a del Carmen Martı´ntothisresearchproject. 1Department of Agroforestry Sciences, School of Units Agricultural Engineering, University of Seville, Car- retera de Utrera, Km 1, 41013, Seville, Spain To convert U.S. to SI, To convert SI to U.S., multiply by U.S. unit SI unit multiply by 2Department of Forest Engineering, School of Ag- ricultural and Forestry Engineering, University of 0.0929 ft2 m2 10.7639 Cordoba, Edificio Leonardo Da Vinci, Campus de 25.4 inch(es) mm 0.0394 Rabanales, Carretera Nacional IV, Km 396, 14071, 1.6093 mile(s) km 0.6214 Cordoba, Spain 2.5900 mile2 km2 0.3861 3Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. ( F – 32) O 1.8 F C(1.8· C) + 32
616 • October 2011 21(5) Spain, found that the irrigation of water conservation choices (Hurd were previously chosen, at random, in gardens could be responsible for as et al., 2006; Spinti et al., 2004; St. the Aljarafe region between Apr. 2007 much as 16% of total domestic con- Hilaire et al., 2010; Varlamoff et al., and Mar. 2008. Interviews were con- sumption (Domene et al., 2005). 2001). In Spain, however, few studies ducted at the interviewees’ homes or In the United States, there is an have explored this area; among them, in the sampled gardens. important awareness of garden design the study conducted in the metropol- A direct, face-to-face survey meth- and its impact on water consumption, itan area of Barcelona, which exam- odology was employed for this project embodied in concepts such as water- ined the relationship of private gardens because of the accompanying high level wise landscaping and xeriscaping (St. and water use for irrigation (Domene of response from respondents, as com- Hilaire et al., 2008). Xeriscaping is a and Saurı´,2003),standsout. pared with other methodologies com- method that emerged in Colorado in The goal of this paper is to ana- monly used to conduct surveys, such 1981 for developing water-wise land- lyze features and management practices as telephone or mailed questionnaires scapes and includes seven principles: in domestic gardens and to determine (Crawford, 1997). This methodology planning and design, soil analysis, plants the attitudes of garden owners in south- allows the interviewer to remain at- with low water needs, creation of ern Spain with regard to more sus- tuned to specific reactions and to even practical turf areas, efficient irrigation, tainable alternatives. In addition, the eliminate potential misunderstand- mulches,andcorrectlandscapemainte- main features of private gardens were ings about the questions being asked nance (Wade et al., 2007). Currently, studied. in the questionnaire (Sheaffer et al., xeriscaping is commonly implemented 2005). in the United States, with programs Materials and methods To secure a representative sam- in several states. In Spain, by contrast, For this study, in-person interviews ple, the sampling plan was stratified concerns about water use in gardens were conducted with homeowners with proportional allocation according are relatively new. The concept of who possess domestic gardens in the to the number of single-family homes xeriscaping was first introduced in region of Aljarafe in southern Spain. in each of the municipalities studied Spain in 1991, from the United States STUDY AREA. The Aljarafe region in the Aljarafe region. The households (Bure´s, 1991). Since then, it has ap- is situated just outside of Seville (lat. to be surveyed were randomly selected peared and been popularized in sev- 37 23#N, long. 5 58#W), in the south- using the random route method. This eral publications, helping its relative west of Spain (Fig. 1), covers an area method gives each house in the area diffusion (Bure´s, 2000; Fundacio´n of 1136 km2, and is composed of beingsampledthesamechanceof ecologı´a y desarrollo, 2000; Labajos, 31 municipalities ranging from 5000 being selected for the survey as any 2004). It has also been discussed in to 40,000 inhabitants, with its entire other (Public Opinion Pros, 2007). numerous administration documents populationsurpassing300,000inhab- Only single-family dwellings were fil- focusing onsustainable gardening prac- itants. This fertile area has primarily tered with the help of digital mapping tices, published in several Spanish cities been an agricultural region over the information from the municipalities and regions (Martı´n et al., 2004). millennia, with beautiful landscapes of the region. All parks and gardens may be of olive (Olea europaea) groves, her- The survey consisted of 50 ques- considered urban ecosystems whose baceous plants, fruit trees, and vine- tions and was designed to obtain in- ecological roles will depend on their yards (Vitis vinifera). However, this formation relating to: 1) features of configurations and compositions, and landscape has changed dramatically the property in relation to the garden; whose sustainability can be evaluated over the last several decades because 2) design of the garden, and its re- according to their functioning. There of urban sprawl and economic growth lationship with the surrounding land- are several studies regarding the eco- in the metropolitan area of Seville scape; 3) elements of the garden, with logical function of green spaces; these (Garcı´a Brenes and Ferna´ndez Can˜ero, emphasis on the plant species that usually have focus on large urban green 2011). were selected; 4) efficiency of irriga- areas. However, few scientific studies In terms of climate classification, tion and determination of the irriga- have focused on domestic gardens the Aljarafe is typically Mediterranean tion system used; 5) distribution of although the available evidence sug- (Kottek et al., 2006), with hot, dry garden areas, in terms of applications gests that they play important roles summers and mild winters. The aver- and features; 6) maintenance manage- in supporting various wildlife popula- age annual temperature is 18.3 C. The ment; and 7) knowledge of and atti- tions (Smith et al., 2005). average annual precipitation is 600 mm, tudes toward xeriscaping. The questions Important research on the role of concentrated between the months of asked in the survey were specifically private gardens in urban ecosystems November and March (Almarza Mata, designed to be nonintrusive. The ques- was undertaken in Sheffield, England 1984). The distribution of rainfall tionnaire contained multiple choice, di- (Thompson et al., 2003). Multiple is very irregular and can vary greatly chotomous, and open-ended questions. factors, such as the typology of the from one year to another, with years Before conducting the statistical garden, its components, and its in- of abundant rainfall alternated with analysis, the survey data were recorded fluence on biodiversity and ecosystem cyclic severe droughts. and organized using Excel (version functioning, were analyzed in that THE SURVEY. To obtain a less 2007; Microsoft, Redmond, WA), and project (Gaston et al., 2005; Smith biased picture of the features and man- the anomalous data were refined, un- et al., 2005). In the United States, agement practices within domestic gar- finished surveys being discarded there have been several studies exam- dens in southern Spain, 162 in-person (Hagerhall, 2000). Data were analyzed ining residents’ attitudes and prefer- interviews were conductedwithowners using SPSS (version 18 for Windows; ences toward urban landscapes and of homes with gardens. Interviewees IBM SPSS, Chicago, IL).
• October 2011 21(5) 617 RESEARCH REPORTS
Fig. 1. The approximate position of the Aljarafe region and the city of Seville in southern Spain.
Associationsbetweenselectedcat- egorical variables were assessed using Kruskal–Wallis X2 and analysis of var- iance (ANOVA). Nonparametric tests, including Kruskal–Wallis’s method, Kendall’s tau rank correlation coeffi- cient, and Dunnett’s C test were used to analyze the data obtained. Signifi- cance was defined at P £ 0.05. Results and discussion GARDENS AND PARCELS AREAS. Of the randomly selected gardens, gar- dens with areas between 100 and 250 m2 were the most common [34.78% (Fig. 2)], and large gardens were rel- Fig. 2. Comparison of the area of the studied gardens and the area of the parcels atively infrequent (18.63%). This con- 2 2 trasts with the fact that parcels exceeding where they were located in Aljarafe, Spain; 1 m = 10.7639 ft . 500 m2 were the most frequent, but only accounted for 31.68% of the total. correlation (Kendall’s tau-b = 0.352, maintenance, and time spent on the A study of the relationship be- P < 0.0001). maintenance of the garden (Table 1). tween gardens area and parcels area Individual garden area was posi- As it was seen previously, the area was conducted, and it was determined tively correlated with other important of the garden is in turn related to the that garden area was strongly related factors, such as turf area of the garden, area of the parcel, and it probably to house parcel size (c2 = 38.768, the existence of automatic garden determines many of the decisions of df =9,P < 0.0001). There was also irrigation, the degree to which the the homeowners surveyed, in terms of a statistically significant nonparametric owner took responsibility for landscape garden design and maintenance.
618 • October 2011 21(5) The relationship between garden the regional and local climate condi- in more than half of cases (50.62%), area and housing type was also con- tions of the site, topography, existing respondents answered that the aim firmed by the Kruskal–Wallis one-way vegetation, and, especially, the group- was primarily ‘‘aesthetics,’’ compared ANOVA by rank. Gardens of terraced ing of plants by their water require- with 21.60% of the respondents, who houses and semidetached houses were ments (Wade et al., 2007). answered that the aim was primarily significantly smaller than those of de- To analyze the features of a gar- ‘‘functional.’’ tached houses (Kruskal–Wallis chi- den’s design, it is helpful to know the VEGETAL DIVERSITY IN THE square = 55.525, df = 2, P < 0.0001). authorship of the design. As can be GARDENS. The selection of plant spe- AGE OF THE GARDENS. Garden seen in Table 2, most of the surveyed cies adapted to the local climatic con- age is another interesting parameter. gardens (86.25%) were designed by ditions and their diversity are important Both newly built gardens (at barely their owners. to ensure the successful development 1 year old) and gardens up to 34 years Garden owners were asked if of gardens and to optimize their ecol- old were found in the homes studied. they had taken into account the site ogical function. However, more than two-thirds of features and the surrounding land- Owners were asked if they had surveyed gardens (70.44%) were less scape in the process of their garden native species planted in the garden, than 10 years old, which is logical design. As shown in Table 2, only one- and only 24% responded positively. considering that many of these houses third of the respondents answered in It should be noted, however, that a are newly constructed, as mentioned the affirmative (36.67%), while the rest significant number of respondents earlier in the discussion of the impor- (63.33%) said they had not considered (77.16%) admitted that they could tant process of population growth in these factors. not reliably distinguish the native the Aljarafe region. Remarkable is the low presence species from the exotic ones. GARDEN DESIGN. The initial de- of gardens in which plants are grouped The survey also asked respon- sign is one of the most important according to their water needs, at dents which types of plants were used aspects that determine the future of only 18% (as shown in Table 2). This in the gardens; as shown in Table 3, a garden and the characteristics of is one of the basic guidelines of xeri- shrubs were the most common type its maintenance. It is essential for any scape and contributes significantly to of plant, followed by turfgrass. It is private garden design to meet the the achievement of efficient irrigation striking to note the strong presence of needs of those who possess and use because it promotes the application to fruit trees in the gardens, which are it (Alexander, 2004). However, as the each plant of the amount of water that present in 67.28% of them. Fruit trees first principle of xeriscape states, a well- it actually needs (Wade et al., 2007). appeared in more gardens than orna- planned garden should take into ac- Respondents were also asked mental trees did (67.28% compared count, in addition to the wishes of the about the main objectives in the de- with 64.20%), which is in contrast to owner, a set of parameters including sign and construction of the garden; the goals of the design of the gardens, mentioned earlier. The above could indicate that private gardens in Spain Table 1. Effect of individual garden area on garden features and maintenance still serve the dual functions of or- habits in Aljarafe, Spain (n = 162). chard and garden, which stems from Kendall’s rank correlation the ancient Islamic garden style and continues to exert a large influence in Features r2 P southern Spain. Turf area of the gardenz 0.582 <0.0001 Respondents were also asked how Time spent on the maintenance of the gardenz 0.268 <0.0001 many different species from each of the plant types mentioned above were in- Pearson chi-square test cluded in the garden. As seen in Table 4, Maintenance habits c2 df P there were not a large number of spe- Existence of automatic garden watering system 17.615 3 0.001 cies, pointing slightly toward a greater in the gardeny diversity of shrubs. The owners do the landscape maintenancey 17.092 3 0.001 The relationship between the number of trees (both ornamental zCorrelations based on responses to two questions: ‘‘turfgrass area’’ (without grass, 1–100 m2, 100–250 m2, 250– 500 m2, and more than 500 m2); ‘‘time spent on the maintenance of the garden’’ (less than 2 h/week, 2–4 h/week, and fruit) and garden area was also and more than 4 h/week); 1 m2 = 10.7639 ft2. yChi-square test based on responses to two questions: ‘‘do you have automatic watering system in the garden?’’ (0 = no, 1 = yes); ‘‘do you do your own landscape maintenance?’’ (0 = no, 1 = yes). Table 3. Type of plants used in the landscape design reported by private Table 2. Features of the garden design reported by private garden owners in garden owners in Aljarafe, Spain. Aljarafe, Spain. Proportion of Proportion of gardens (%) gardens (%) Features Yes No Type of plant Used Not used The owner is the designer 86.25 13.75 Ornamental trees 64.20 35.80 Site features and surrounding landscape is considered 36.67 63.33 Fruit trees 67.28 32.72 Landscape designed with areas of differing water 17.72 82.28 Shrubs 88.27 11.73 requirements (hydrozoning) Turfgrass 79.63 20.37
• October 2011 21(5) 619 RESEARCH REPORTS confirmed. There was also a statisti- In the Mediterranean area, it is areas whose surfaces exceed 50% of cally significant nonparametric corre- almost impossible to create a lawn that the total outdoor landscaped area. This lation between garden area and number will look natural and beautiful all year is in opposition to one of the xeriscape of ornamental trees (Kendall’s tau- round. If warm-season perennial grasses guidelines pertaining to the selection b = 0.463, P < 0.0001) and between are selected, which are well adapted to of appropriate turf areas, which should garden area and number of fruit trees the heat, the grass will be green and be sized to meet the needs of intended (Kendall’s tau-b = 0.425, P < 0.0001). excel aesthetically in summer, but will use (Wade et al., 2007), and contrasts TURFGRASS. Turfgrass plants are be brown in the winter. On the other with the directives set in some U.S. among the most functional and ver- hand, selecting cold-season species cities, like San Antonio, TX (Bounds, satile of all garden plants. They allow will ensure a good appearance in the 2009), Brownsville, TX (National the creation of spaces for multiple uses winter, but in summer will require large Wildlife Federation and the Lone Star and have important ecological func- water inputs to maintain a minimum Chapter of the Sierra Club, 2010), tions such as the reduction of erosion, ornamental value (Latymer, 2004). Las Vegas, NV (Anderson, 2004), or which allows for the more efficient use A high percentage of the gardens Roseville, CA (Planning and Rede- of rainwater. It is problematic, how- studied (79.63%) had a lawn area. As velopment Department of Roseville, ever, that lawns often occupy oversized shown in Fig. 3, the lawn areas were 2010), where landscape grass area surfaces, and when they are inade- very important and prevalent in garden cannot exceed 50% of the total area quately maintained or when the cho- design. of a landscape. sen species are not appropriate for the When comparing lawn area with Species used in lawns were also area, they cause a great deal of water total garden area (Table 5), it was noted studied; among the most popular waste (Wade et al., 2007). that 71.61% of the gardens have turf was st. augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), which was present in 86.67% of the sampled gardens. St. Table 4. Number of plant species used in the landscape design reported by private augustinegrass is very popular in Spain, garden owners in Aljarafe, Spain. especially in coastal areas and in cer- tain inland areas with mild winters. Its Proportion of gardens (%)z resistance to high summer tempera- Plant species in the garden (no.) tures is quite remarkable, and it forms Type of plant None 1–3 4–6 7–9 ‡10 very dense lawns, but is not as resis- Ornamental trees 36.42 40.74 18.52 2.47 1.85 tant to lack of water as bermudagrass Fruit trees 32.72 45.98 11.73 4.94 4.94 (Cynodon dactylon) (Monje Jime´nez, Shrubs 11.73 37.65 37.04 6.79 6.79 2009). Bermudagrass stands out for zPercentage values may not total 100 because of rounding errors. its drought resistance and, grouped
Fig. 3. Collection of images of several gardens sampled in Aljarafe, Spain.
620 • October 2011 21(5) together with other hybrids of the irrigation by hose were used at similar systems in domestic gardens were usu- genus, appears in second place, with frequency, 60.49% and 57.41% re- ally efficient. Most (85.71%) answered a percentage of 8.53%. spectively. Drip irrigation, however, in the affirmative. This could suggest Initially, st. augustinegrass would was barely present, found in 30.86% that no general awareness exists that appear not to be a bad choice, espe- of the sampled gardens. This is worri- irrigation of private gardens consti- cially when compared with cool-season some because, as noted by Fuentes tutes a problem in terms of the effi- species (present only in 3.10% of the (2003), drip irrigation has 75% to 90% ciency of the installed systems. studied gardens) such as perennial rye- efficiency and sprinkler irrigation sys- In Seville, because of its Medi- grass (Lolium perenne), fescues (Festuca tems have an efficiency of 65% to 85%. terranean climate, rainfall periods are spp.), or creeping bentgrass (Agrostis The use of an automatic garden very marked, characterized by dry and spp.), all of which have much higher irrigation system allows for greater hot summers. Summer is, therefore, water requirements. However, if those control, efficiency, and adjustment of the season of highest water consump- surfaces were replaced with bermuda- the irrigation doses that are applied, tion in the gardens. One hundred per- grass, water consumption for irrigation achieving a reduction in the cost of cent of respondents affirmed that they could be reduced significantly, improv- general maintenance while saving water considered the season when schedul- ing the ornamental value of the turf (Martı´n et al., 2004). In the gardens ing irrigation (Table 7). areas. In this context, it should be noted surveyed, as shown in Table 7, only They were also asked how often that some cities in the southern United 57.23% had automatic irrigation sys- they watered their gardens in the States, especially in Florida, have banned tems. This contrasts with the results summer and winter, and, as shown the use of st. augustinegrass in its regu- of a study on residential end uses of in Table 8, almost half of the gardens lations, with the aim of achieving water- water developed by the America Water were watered daily in summer, with a wise landscapes (Bounds, 2009). Works Association Research Founda- large majority (70%) not being watered LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT. One tion (Mayer et al., 1999), which showed in winter. of the seven principles of xeriscaping that 30.9% of households sampled Respondents were asked whether is to properly maintain the garden, across the United States had auto- they knew the approximate consump- and, according to Wade et al. (2007), matic watering systems in the garden. tion of water used for irrigation in in the case of following the other six Interviewers also asked respon- the summers to irrigate their gardens. principles, it is much easier and cheaper dents if they believed that irrigation Surprisingly, only 5% gave positive to accomplish. Fewer pesticides and fertilizers are needed, and less labor is Table 6. Gardening practices, fertilizer use, and insecticide application in 2008 required for maintenance. In addition, reported by private garden owners in Aljarafe, Spain and in the United States. many cultural practices can help to save Location water in gardens, developing more resistant plants. Aljarafe, Southern United All United Activity Spain (%) Statesz(%) Statesz (%) Owners were also asked who was responsible for maintenance in their Homeowners who. gardens. Almost 83% of respondents do their own landscape maintenance 83.2 91 86 were involved in their own mainte- apply fertilizer to their landscapes 80.7 31 41 nance, as shown in Table 6, with 75% apply insecticides to their landscapes 51.3 24 22 of them personally performing all zData from Varlamoff et al., (2001). maintenance. Professional gardening companies were employed in only 25% Table 7. Irrigation practices and opinion reported by private garden owners in of cases (including the cases in which Aljarafe, Spain. the owners were collaborating partially Proportion of in the maintenance of the garden). Activity respondents (%) ARDEN IRRIGATION The ques- G . . tionnaire also asked owners about the Homeowners who irrigation systems used in the gardens. have automatic garden watering system in the garden 57.23 Irrigation by aspersion and manual take into account the season to regulate the irrigation of the garden 100 know the amount of water consumed in the garden irrigation 4.32 Homeowners think that. Table 5. Lawn area comparing with water consumption in gardens is appropriate/efficient 85.71 total garden area reported by private irrigation systems in domestic gardens are usually efficient 85.71 garden owners in Aljarafe, Spain. Turfgrass area Proportion of Table 8. Proportion of gardens based on the frequency of irrigation in summer (% total) gardens (%)z and winter reported by private garden owners in Aljarafe, Spain. Without turfgrass 20.37 Proportion of gardens (%)z 1% to 25% 1.23 Irrigation frequency 25% to 50% 6.79 Season Daily Alternate days Every 3 d Weekly No irrigation 50% to 75% 37.04 75% to 100% 34.57 Summer 48.75 36.88 13.13 1.35 — zPercentage values may not total 100 because of Winter — — 8.13 21.88 70 rounding errors. zPercentage values may not total 100 because of rounding errors.
• October 2011 21(5) 621 RESEARCH REPORTS responses. Furthermore, it became principles and other parameters of the systems being less frequently used clear that most respondents did not survey was studied. The purpose was than sprinklers or hoses. However, it know what percentage of their water to determine whether, when garden has been determined that factors such consumption bill was for the irriga- owners were familiar with these types as total garden area have an influence tion of their garden. Apparently this of more sustainable gardening tech- on various features of the garden and was a sensitive issue because a signifi- niques, there were changes in attitude its management, in terms of the exis- cant number of respondents (26.7%) and implementation of xeriscaping tence of automated irrigation or the refused to answer these questions. practices. Table 10 shows statistically decision to hire a professional main- To understand the attitudes of the significant relationships, suggesting tenance service. surveyed owners toward water-wise that homeowners with knowledge of Finally, it was noted that owner landscaping, they were asked if they xeriscaping were more likely to apply knowledge of xeriscaping seems to would be willing to change a portion this knowledge. have a positive relationship in terms of of their grass area to an area of mulch These outcomes are consistent the practical application of relevant to save water. As shown in Table 9, with the results of other investigations, principles in the garden. their responses were overwhelmingly including research carried out in negative (86.09%). Only 11.26% stated Davis County, UT, where an evalua- that they would be willing to do this, tion of homeowner preferences toward Literature cited and 2.65% answered that they had water-wise landscapes was conducted Alexander, R. 2004. The essential garden already done so. This negative result (McCammon et al., 2009), and the design workbook. Timber Press, Portland, is probably due to a lack of knowledge conclusion was that knowledge of OR. regarding the alternatives of design of- xeriscaping could influence home- Almarza Mata, C. 1984. Fichas hı´dricas fered through xeriscaping, and their owner attitudes and behaviors toward normalizadas y otros para´metros hidro- aesthetic and functional possibilities. landscapes under drought stress meteorolo´gicos. Instituto Nacional de To delve into this issue, respondents (McCammon et al., 2009). Meteorologı´a, Madrid, Spain. were asked if they had any knowledge of xeriscaping principles, and only Anderson, K.M. 2004. An investigation into Conclusions what planning departments and water au- 16.88% responded affirmatively. The results of the study reported thorities can learn from eleven communities. It was desired to determine here indicate that private gardens in the MS Diss., Univ of Oregon, Eugene. 12 whether respondents who knew the Aljarafe region are designed primarily Dec. 2010.
622 • October 2011 21(5) de Barcelona. Investigaciones geogra´ficas Latymer, H. 2004. El jardı´n mediterra´- Public Opinion Pros. 2007. Glossary. 5 32:5–17. neo. Editorial Naturart, Barcelona, Spain. May 2009.
• October 2011 21(5) 623