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Heather Ginsburg

Specialty: Field Education Programs Coordinator

Heather is a Texas tradeswoman through and through! With three state water licenses under her belt, she brings a unique perspective, background and expertise to the SAWS Education team. Heather’s deep understanding of and passion for sharing water knowledge makes her perfectly suited for coordinating and leading SAWS’ education tours.

Prior to joining the SAWS family, Heather worked in the private sector as a landscape designer where she spent countless hours helping homeowners create beautiful, water-saving landscapes.

Heather, along with her husband Brett and their two children, all strive daily to be kind humans who give back to Mother Earth.

Heather Ginsburg's Latest Garden Articles

Hit the snooze button on your irrigation controller

Right now, your lawn is enjoying a deep slumber. So don’t disturb it with water. Just let it snooze and your pocketbook will thank you. Right now, your lawn is […]

Sustainability Starts in Your Own Backyard

From water conservation to composting to tree planting, the way you landscape at home can make a positive impact. The term “sustainability” can mean something different to each of us, […]

Protect San Antonio’s water: always dispose of pesticides properly

Always dispose of herbicides and pesticides properly! This weekend’s citywide household hazardous waste drop-off is a great opportunity to spring-clean hazardous chemicals from the garage. Pesticides and herbicides can be […]

Want foolproof flora? Take a hike!

When you spend time in nature and study what’s growing around you, it makes plant selection and placement for your new garden a cinch. Planning a garden and transforming a […]

Take the Hand-Watering Challenge

Just because you have an irrigation system doesn’t mean you have to use it. Hand watering with a hose uses fewer gallons per minute and targets only what truly needs […]

Give Your Garden Grit

Landscape looking limp or lacking structure? Brace it with a backbone of Texas-style evergreens. Believe it or not, having an attractive, low-maintenance, water-efficient landscape year-round is possible. The key: a […]

Follow the Flush

What better way to welcome All Hallows Eve than with a virtual visit through the slimy, creepy underground world of water recycling? Have you ever wondered what happens to the […]

Easy Side-Yard Makeover

Calling all weekend warriors! Take that side-yard space from forgotten to functional with this simple-yet-elegant design. We all have to store our trash and recycle bins somewhere, and most of […]

You Are the Best Controller for Your Irrigation System

No matter what type of controller you have, knowing how it works and what settings to use are the smartest ways to water efficiently. The truth is there is no […]

5 Weekends to a Gorgeous Garden

If a low-maintenance garden is your goal, there are five basic tasks to tackle now before spring officially blooms in mid-March. Cut back your perennials after the last freeze date […]

Start a New Holiday Tradition: Plant a Tree

Not sure what to do after visiting and feasting with family and friends? Start a new tradition — buy a tree in advance and present it to the group as […]

Hike Up That Hill Country Charm

It’s a common sight in a Hill Country landscape — a Texas-sized limestone boulder at the end of the drive. Learn how to make it work for you to create […]

How To Set Your Irrigation Controller

Wonky controller settings are the biggest culprit of residential water waste and high water bills. Luckily, taming your unruly timer — and preventing water waste — is as easy as […]

3 Costly Irrigation Errors and How To Avoid Them

Automatic irrigation systems use an average of 2,000 gallons of water each time they run. If the controller isn’t properly programmed, it will result in a lot of wasted water […]

Perky Privacy Plans That Won’t Box You In

From defining your property line to creating shade and habitat for wildlife, there are so many problems that can be solved with thoughtfully placed plants. Does your yard lack privacy? […]

Take a Hike in Your Own Backyard

No need to drive to the nearest park when you can lace up your boots and “hit the trail” right in your own yard. Gardening is excellent exercise for your […]

Working With Your HOA

Want to transform your water-guzzling landscape, but live in a community with a homeowners association? Follow our five-step way to woo your HOA. If you live in a community managed […]

The Path to Less Grass

A large lawn requires a lot of water, time and maintenance — now and in the future. Why not give up some grass? There are many more cool things you […]

Improve Your Irrigation System’s Efficiency

Did you know making retrofits to your sprinkler system can translate to significant water savings? It all starts with a free irrigation consultation from SAWS! We all know swapping out […]

From Slab to Sexy

Is your backyard a bland expanse of sickly, sun-baked carpet grass with a tiny builder’s patio and no charm in sight? Use our coupons and rebates to transform it! This […]

Our Favorite 5 Texas-tough Evergreens

Give your landscape some backbone — with native evergreens for year-round structure and depth. Is there an area in your garden that looks like a disaster because all the perennials […]

HOA Says No? Have Another Go!

Working with your homeowner association is a back-and-forth, collaborative process. Go into it knowing it may take a while and you may have to submit your landscape plans several times. […]

How To Lower Your Water Bill

If you have a high water bill — and an irrigation system — look no further than the irrigation controller. Nine times out of 10, that’s the culprit. Have you […]

Be Your Irrigation System’s BFF

An in-ground sprinkler system has a lot of moving parts that can periodically fail or get damaged. You are the key to making sure yours operates efficiently. If you have […]

Easy Fixes for Your Garden Glitches

Landscape problems, we’ve all got ‘em. But most of them have very simple solutions. Read on to find out how to solve some common garden glitches. I spend the better […]

Real Life Rain Gardens

Two intrepid women, Lee Marlowe with the San Antonio River Authority and Heather Ginsberg with San Antonio Water System, brave raging wind and rain to tell everyone about the elements […]

5 Must-Have Garden Books

If designing or refreshing your landscape is on your to-do list, start by perusing a few locally relevant books. They provide inspiration and lots of much-needed information before you dig […]

Plant a Tranquil Landscape

Grouping several of the same plants together is a great way to create movement and a serene scene in your landscape. Want to keep your upcoming landscape project from looking […]

When High Style = Low Water

Why high-end landscape design can, and often does, save water Have you ever driven through a high-end neighborhood and thought, “Whoa! Niiiiice yard! But I bet their water bill is […]

Gregg’s Mistflower: Butterfly Magnet

Butterflies go gaga over Gregg’s mistflower — and it makes an attractive, unconventional groundcover. In addition, it’s a tough native Texan! I am so excited to be featuring my all-time […]

Explore Olive Your Landscape Options with Mexican Olive

Mexican olive makes a dynamic focal point in a garden bed. And, it’s one of the many beautiful choices available for the fall WaterSaver Landscape Coupon. Are you creating a […]

Flame Acanthus

Want a plant to attract all the hummingbirds in the neighborhood to your garden? Look no further! Flame acanthus is a tough, Texas native perennial with bright green foliage and hot red-orange tubular flowers. […]

Digging Deep with Pam Penick, Garden Sage

Get the “real dirt” from the author and designer who literally wrote the book on Central Texas gardening. Pam Penick is a gardening coach and mentor to people around the world, […]

Spur Your Neighbors On!

Are you a team player? Be the point guard of your neighborhood — transform your landscape into a water-saving winner and “spur” your neighbors on to gardening greatness! By Heather […]

Shady Retreat Design

This shady retreat is not only a feast of foliage for the eyes, it boasts native species, requires very little water, maintenance and fertilization, and is an inviting habitat for […]

What’s an Acadian To Plant in Texas?

Discovery of thriving Texas natives gave Heather a plan for transformation. Love brought this Acadian to San Antonio… and I got here as fast as I could! For those who […]

Got Heaps of Homegrown Produce? Eat Some, Save the Rest!

With the abundant rains we’ve received this spring, those with vegetable gardens are likely reaping huge rewards from seeds and transplants set out in early spring. But what do we […]

The Neighborly Way to Sway Your HOA

Want to transform your water-guzzling landscape, but live in a community overseen by a homeowners association? Follow our five ways to work in partnership with your HOA. If you live […]

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