Karen Guz
SPECIALTY: Conservation
ABOUT:
Karen grew up taking family vacations to national parks and scenic rivers. A one-time kayak river guide in her home state of Pennsylvania, she got herself to Texas as fast as she could. Now as the director of conservation at SAWS, she is responsible for meeting San Antonio’s long-term water conservation goals by leading a high energy, creative team of conservation planners. She first worked for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service providing a variety of horticulture and 4-H educational programs to the community before joining SAWS in 2000. When she’s not helping San Antonio live up to its reputation as a national leader in water conservation, she enjoys the outdoors as an avid hiker…continuing the tradition of luring the rest of her family to national parks and ranger talks.
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Join the Conservation Conversation
Water conservation is a communitywide effort — that’s why we want your input on our draft five-year conservation plan. Water conservation remains a high priority in San Antonio. Our proven conservation programs have become a cornerstone of the community’s long-term water management strategy — and they’ve helped keep water costs lower while reducing the need […]
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Winter Weeds Winding Up
Common annual cool season weeds in our area come up from the seeds of last winter. Deal with their arrival with these tips. What a relief to have cool weather and periodic rains! But wait. What are those unsightly things sprouting in the garden beds and lawn? They’re cool season weeds that will grow, flower […]
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Round it Up, Dig it Up or Cover it Up
Grass can be tenacious and return to compete with new plants if it is not eradicated properly. For all of the talk about grass dying or looking unsightly during drought, it’s surprising how hard it can be to eliminate it when you’re doing it purposely. Grass can be tenacious and return to compete with new […]
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Soaker Hoses — Good, Bad and Ugly
Soaker hoses can be an effective and efficient watering tool for beds, shrubs and trees. But use them incorrectly and you may be blindsided with a huge water bill. Soaker hoses are a great way to water perennial beds, shrubs and trees. They’re so inexpensive you can buy several and leave them snaked around throughout […]
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Landscape Design Challenge
Winter is the perfect time to take on a landscape project in San Antonio. It’s comfortable to work outside, and plants will get a chance to get their roots started before the hot weather returns. Last year I pledged to remove many of the aggressive non-native plants in my home landscape. These are species that […]
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Schedule a Free Conservation Consultation
Spring is just around the corner and with it comes the need to ensure your irrigation system is in good working order. If your irrigation system was dormant this winter due to cool weather and seasonal rain, you’ll want to inspect it closely to avoid water waste citations or unusually high water bill. What to look at: […]
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Non-Native Plant Mistakes
I console myself with the reminder that we learn from our mistakes. In the case of some errors though, the fix requires a lot of work. In the past, I thought I was planting appropriate species, but in actuality I planted and established aggressive, non-native plants. They have become pernicious invaders, preventing native species from […]
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Special Garden Additions
Want to add some wow to your garden? These special garden beauties make a San Antonio statement with vibrant blooms and striking shapes that not only add interest and excitement, but are tough-as-nails for our climate. ‘Moy Grande’ Hibiscus Hibiscus x ‘Moy Grande’ This is a local favorite because it was bred here at the […]
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Soaker Hoses
Deliver more water to the roots where it’s needed. Wildscape Watering Technique: Avoid watering flowers from the top because the water washes off nectar that is important to wildlife. Instead water from below with a watering wand, drip system or soaker hose. Water deeply, but infrequently for best impact. Make sure that water soaks down […]
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Getting Rid of Plant Clippings
Pruning back top-frozen perennials produces a surprisingly big pile of brush. Smaller materials can be added to your compost pile. But, getting rid of larger branches is a challenge for folks who cringe at the thought of putting all of that good organic material into the landfill. You may also be limited in the amount […]
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Whack Weeds the Old-Fashioned Way
If you’re thinking about running to the store for some product to rid your yard of recently thriving weeds, don’t. Weed and feed will not help your situation now. It’s too early to prevent summer weeds, which won’t germinate until spring. And, it’s too late to prevent the germination of winter weed seeds because your […]
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Xeriscape
What is a Xeriscape? *** HOW TO PRONOUNCE “XERISCAPE” (zîr’ i˘-ska¯p‘) zer-i-scape ZIH-rih-skape Xeriscape is a trademarked term created by Denver Water. *** A landscape is a xeriscape if it needs little extra water or other assistance to look its best. Fortunately, many plants thrive in San Antonio with these low-care conditions. This leaves a […]
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Save Water with Soaker Hoses
Soaker hoses are a great way to irrigate perennial beds, and newly-planted shrubs and trees. They are so inexpensive that you can buy several and leave them snaked around throughout your landscape. Connecting more than two soaker hoses is not recommended. The loss of pressure as the hose extends will make it ineffective. Never connect […]
