In Your Yard

GUIDE TO LANDSCAPING

Plant Trees
Plant trees in your yard, the canopies intercept rain and evaporate water back into the atmosphere.

Native Plants
Use deep rooted native grasses and flowers in your gardens. Minimize the amount of turf in your yard, especially if you have a lot of open area, by using native plants.

Native Turf
Plant your yard to deep rooted native turf grasses. Try using Buffalo and Side Oats Gramma grasses. Then mow as a standard lawn with no need to water or fertilize.

Rain Gardens
Create a rain garden to capture downspout water or runoff from your lawn. Dig a depressional area in a well drained area where soils will soak up water, not let it puddle. Amend soil before planting, if needed.

Rain Garden Resources

GUIDE TO LAWN MAINTENANCE

Fertilizers
Use fertilizers sparingly. Follow all {Dsc00990} any excess that spills onto driveway or sidewalk.

No "P" Fertilizers
There are 3 numbers on a fertilizer bag for N, P, K. Use the no “P” or very low “P” as there is already plenty of phosphorous in our soils.

Mow High
If you want less watering, wait to mow your grass when it is 4-5 inches high. Roots will grow longer, which then requires less watering.

Restore Healthy Soil
Reduce compaction and increase organic matter content. Aerate your lawn, then apply a thin layer of compost (1/4-1/2”) and additional seed if desired.

GUIDE TO CAPTURE RAINWATER

Redirect Downspout
Direct downspouts away from impervious surfaces such as driveways and sidewalks. Direct towards vegetated areas such as your lawn or garden. The more rain that you infiltrate in your yard the less runs
Dsc011097

Rain Barrel
Use rain barrels to capture rainfall from your roof. Place them at your downspouts to capture the runoff. Use the collected water for your gardens.

Rain Planter
Specially designed rain planters can be connected to roof drains or down spouts to collect runoff.  Plant them with your favorite horticultural or native plants. They are especially useful in downtown areas and if you don’t have much green space in your yard.

Rain Garden
Create a rain garden to capture downspout water or runoff from your lawn. Dig a depression in a well drained area where soils will soak up water, not let it puddle. Amend soil before planting, if needed.

GUIDE TO PAVEMENTS

Grass Pave
P0008674- This “green” pavement captures rain. A gravel bed is covered by a heavy plastic frame covered by soil and planted to grass. Use in low traffic areas. Installation only by a trained contractor.

Modular Pavers
Permeable pavers capture rain. Use them in your driveway or at the apron of your driveway. The pavers are underlain by a rock chamber. Installation only by a trained contractor.

Porous Asphalt
Porous asphalt captures rain. Try it in your driveway or at the apron of your driveway. It has pore spaces to capture the runoff and is underlain by a rock chamber. Installation only by a trained contractor.

Pervious Concrete
Pervious concrete captures rain. Try it in your driveway or at the apron of your driveway. It has pore spaces to capture the runoff and is underlain by a rock chamber. Installation only by a trained contractor.