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Elizabeth Cutright Water Efficiency Editor

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WE Editor's Blog

August 22nd, 2008 12:43pm PST

Field Trippin' in the Garden

Posted By Elizabeth Cutright Comments

This week, my coworkers and I spent the afternoon touring the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in order to learn more about their new, state-of-the-art irrigation system. Andrew Wyatt, Director of Horticulture for the Garden, demonstrated their computer interface system, the capabilities of which were mind-boggling. (The system can handle up to 1,000 individual irrigation programs, and can communicate with both EV sensors and the Garden’s weather system.) Once we had a handle on the “back of the house” aspects of the system, Andrew walked us around the garden itself. We got a chance to see how the many different microclimates within the garden benefit from customizable irrigation, so that the Redwood Forest can cohabitate within a few feet of grasslands and orchids.

View a slideshow of our Botanic Garden adventure.

For more details on the irrigation system, check out the press release attached below.

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Installs State-of-Art Irrigation System
Local foundations fund water-saving system

Santa Barbara, CA – The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is pleased to announce the installation of a new, state-of-the-art, computer-controlled irrigation system.  Funded by grants from the Santa Barbara Foundation, the Hind Foundation, the Smart Family Foundation, the Stanley Smith Horticultural Foundation, and in-kind donations from All-Around Irrigation, this exciting new system not only enables the Garden to replace the current antiquated system, but also makes it possible to maintain plants whose watering requirements are highly sensitive and beyond the capabilities of the current system.

Currently, the Botanic Garden grows about 1,000 native taxa on its grounds.  This new system enhances the Garden's ability to showcase unrepresented taxa that have more fickle watering requirements, such as water sensitive plants for the California Native Orchid and Desert exhibits, and the water-loving plants of the lush northern California forests.  The current system utilized by the Botanic Garden was first installed in the 1920s and last modified in the 1960s and is inadequate for current needs. 

"The new irrigation system represents an extremely important upgrade to the Garden's ability to care for our plant collections and provide our visitors with beautiful plant displays," says Andrew Wyatt, the Garden's Director of Horticulture.  "We are excited about the system because of the reduced water use, labor savings, and the innumerable ways it will benefit our plant collections."

A computer-controlled system, utilizing data from weather and soil instruments, eliminates the guesswork for watering plants, significantly reducing plant mortality rates.  With precise control over the amount, location, and timing of water applied, the Botanic Garden will conserve more water and keep plants greener and healthier.  This exciting new project will both expand the Botanic Garden's important living collection and enhance the visitor's experience

UPDATE - May 13, 2009

Jesusita Fire Damage
Source: Santa Barbara Botanical Garden

Although a full inventory has not yet been completed, Director of Horticulture Andrew Wyatt said that losses include all power and hand tools, trucks, bio-fuel 'gators', and a new tractor.

Stored in the Gane House, a large Craftsman-style home that has served as the Garden's Horticultural Center for the last several years, equipment was lost when the Gane House was destroyed by fire in the late afternoon of May 6. One shovel, a favorite of Mr. Wyatt, was found intact in his unscorched office.

As the Garden's equipment needs are specialized, it is seeking cash donations to purchase new equipment for Garden clean-up, maintenance, and re-planting. Donations can be made at http://bit.ly/hKdFs.

Although much of the 'heart' of the Garden--its magnificent Meadow, Manzanita, Arryor, and Teahouse Exhibits--remain intact, it did suffer much destrustion in other areas. These include most of the riparian corridor, Porter and Pritchett Paths; sections of the Desert and Redwood Exhibits; the historic Campbell Bridge; the Redwood Treering Exhibit; and the Director's Residence.

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