Maintaining a healthy and lush garden is not easy. Weeds, pests, pruning and soil quality are a few of the many challenges that face the weekend gardener. And depending upon where you live and how arid the climate might be, it can take lots of water.

The most well-intentioned gardener can have difficulty properly watering his yard. Signs of a troubled yard include soil that is too wet, too dry or not evenly irrigated. Plants and turf are brown and brittle or yellow and soggy. In either case, with the watering under control, you'll have a healthier garden and you'll preserve water.

Water conservation is increasingly important due to droughts. Water shortages have changed landscaping as drought-resistant landscape materials that reduce the demand for water anchor more and more gardens.

Though important, plant material choice only addresses part of the water problem. Plants still need water, therefore, as important a consideration is the water delivery system - how the water gets from the well or municipal water system to your trees, shrubs and turf.

In the past, most watering systems consisted simply of a garden hose connected to a faucet. But, hand-watering was a slow and labor-intensive practice, and, thus, water disbursement devices (sprinklers) soon appeared on the market. This method, though making the job easier for the homeowner, sometimes results in overwatering. Another drawback of this system is that, to be effective, the sprinkler must be moved frequently.

Finally, someone got creative by replacing the hose with pipe and the sprinkler with a group of sprinklers - and the sprinkler system was born. Over the years the sprinkler system has become easier to install, more affordable to buy and more effective. And, a good sprinkler system saves water.

Not all sprinkler systems are created equal. To get the best bang for your sprinkling-system buck, start with a good diagram or plan. The plan should outline what is to be watered (trees, shrubs, turf) and where existing sources of water are located. A professional landscape designer, landscape contractor or nursery specialist can help select the right irrigation system for you. If you would rather design and build the system yourself, consult your local library or bookstore for the information you'll need to end up with a first-rate job.

Water pressure, pipe diameter, the distance the water will travel and the size and shape of the area to be watered are some of the details that must be considered when designing an irrigation system. Will you use a full-circle head, a half-circle head or a quarter-circle head? And once you've decided what to use and where to use it, you'll address the distance that the head needs to cover and the amount of water that it uses, expressed in gallons per minute (gpm).

The sprinkler system has evolved from iron pipe that rusts easily to lightweight plastic that will last virtually forever. And, the inefficient and clumsy sprinkler heads of yesteryear have been replaced by finely engineered stealth models that are the pinnacle of efficiency. They even can be hidden in the ground so that you don't trip over them or cut them off with the blade of your lawn mower.

Automatic timers that control watering time are a must for a good irrigation system. These state-of-the-art water-yielding computers regulate the duration and number of times that a particular area of your yard is to be watered on a given day or in a given week. Some advanced models have multiple programs that allow for seasonal adjustment or varied watering times throughout the day or week.

You truly get what you pay for with irrigation systems. Water is a costly precious resource - not to mention what it costs to landscape a yard. A good irrigation system is an investment. Therefore, don't be frugal when it comes to the design and material used to create your system. Spending a bit more up front will pay dividends in water savings and a healthy garden over time.

A few tips to keep in mind when sprinkler shopping: don't buy bargain-basement pipe, fitting, valves, heads or timers. Get the best you can afford. More valves give you more and better control over the areas to be watered in your garden and boost water pressure at each station. Pipes should be buried between 7 and 9 inches below the surface of the ground to avoid damage. Locating the valves below ground in a prefabricated box improves the overall appearance of your yard and is the sign of a true professional. Make a list of the items you need before going to the store, and buy extra pipe, fittings and glue to avoid making extra trips.