What about the drought?

Amid the fifth consecutive year of statewide drought, many local nurseries couldn't be happier.

As water supplies have dipped, Salt Lake City's landscaping industry appears to be better than ever as many water conservationists have stressed smarter gardening, not less.

"We've seen an increase in sales," said Loren Nielsen, owner of Wasatch Shadows. "But that's not to say we haven't had to make adjustments. What we've tried to do is increase our stock of water-wise plants as well as raise awareness for appropriate watering."

Since the drought, Nielsen has increased his stock by 20 percent to accommodate many of the water-wise plants. Other local nurseries, such as Cactus and Tropicals, have also increased their native and drought-resistant offerings to meet rising demand.

The Wasatch Front is in the midst of one of the worst droughts in the past 100 years, and possibly the worst since the 1930s, said Tim Wright, assistant state climatologist. As of April 1, state snowpack levels were at 61 percent of normal. Reservoir levels are down 22 percent from last year across the state, and only 58 percent of normal.

Some other areas of the drought-plagued West have reacted differently to the question of gardening. In Denver and Aurora, Colo., the gardening industry has been blamed as a drought-contributor and, in turn, taken the brunt of the economic impact. Residents of Denver, by law, cannot water their lawns during the summer months.

Since 60 to 70 percent of Utah's urban water consumption goes to watering lawns, mandatory water restrictions are being discussed by most water suppliers. Many have restructured their water rates to penalize overuse, effective June 1.

With all the talk of mandatory water restrictions, Salt Lake City's gardening industry, in connection with water conservationists, has emphasized that landscaping is not the problem, but over-watering and uneducated growers.

"Laws won't change behavior nearly as much as education and accountability will," said Stephanie Duer, the city's water conservation coordinator. "With minor adjustments in garden care, the city can cut back its water use substantially."

Duer has helped in creating watering schedules to educate the city in proper watering. April and October watering is unnecessary, and once a week is plenty during May and September, she said. Watering every four days in June and every three days in July and August is sufficient, she said.