Water-Efficient Landscaping 2013 Lawn and Garden Expo Slideshow 3/16/2013 Water-Efficient Landscaping Preventing Pollution and Using Resources Wisely Ellis County Engineering Department

What is Water-Efficient Landscaping? Water efficient landscaping is the use of techniques for lawn and garden design that lower the amount of water used for irrigation and help prevent pollution in the process. Other terms that are interchangeable with “water-efficient” include “water-wise,” “water-smart,” “low-water,” “natural landscaping,” and “xeriscape landscaping.”

Water-efficient and Xeriscape Concepts Proper planning and design Soil analysis and improvement Appropriate plant selection Practical turf areas Efficient irrigation systems Schedule irrigation wisely Appropriate maintenance Group plants according to their water needs Remember to mulch

Did You Know? The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) has developed a water-efficient landscaping method specifically for North Central Texas. It’s called Texas Smartscape and it utilizes the “xeriscape” approach. However, it goes beyond the basics of “xeriscapes” by providing online tools for design, care, and plant selection; all of which are “Smart” for North Central Texas! The program shows you how to conserve water, beautify your property, and attract native butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. It also helps you prevent and reduce storm water pollution!

Why Use Texas Smartscape? Proper water-efficient landscaping produces benefits such as: Breath-taking lawns and gardens Attracting native wildlife Reduced stormwater runoff and stormwater runoff pollution from fertilizers and pesticides Low maintenance requirements Lower water bills Conservation of natural resources Decreased energy use due to less water demand Decreased air pollution due to less energy demand for water treatment Reduced home/office heating/cooling costs due to careful plant placement

Questions to Ask While Planning What are the regional and local climatic conditions? What are the temperatures like year round? How much does it rain, snow, etc? How much and how fast does the wind blow? From which direction(s)? What is the existing vegetation like? Which plants are already there? Are they native? Are they invasive? For which purpose is the property used? Residential or commercial?

Soil Analysis and Improvement Important things to know about your soil: pH – Is it acidic or basic? Which nutrients are present and in what levels? (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc.) Is the soil primarily gravel, sand, silt, or clay? Does the soil retain water well? Adyantagri.com

Choosing Suitable Plants Which flowers, trees, shrubs, grasses, etc. are native to your area? (i.e. would they grow here if humans hadn’t interfered?) What are these plants’ sun/shade requirements? What are these plants’ preferred soil conditions? How much water do they require to flourish?

Texas Smartscape in Action Real “Smartscaped” Lawns and Gardens in North Central Texas

Acknowledgements The information presented in this slideshow was adapted and obtained from an EPA publication and the Texas Smartscape website. For more information on water-efficient landscaping visit: http://www.epa.gov/watersense/docs/water-efficient_landscaping_508.pdf For more information on the Texas Smartscape program visit: http://www.txsmartscape.com/index.asp