logo

Water Efficient Landscaping

Conserving water during a typical dry summer can make taking care of a landscape, whether it is lawn, plants or a combination of both, quite difficult. Read through the following landscape tips and resources to take care of your landscaping year-round. 

Six Tips to Make Your Garden More Water-EfficientLandscape_Web_300x250

  1. Get Inspired. Visit our stormwater demonstration garden on Donnelly Avenue. Interested in more green infrastructure projects around town? Check out our Green Infrastructure Map!
  2. Create a drought-tolerant garden by sheet mulching your lawn. Did you know you don't need chemicals to kill your water-intensive lawn? Sheet mulching is an easy process of layering cardboard and mulch right on top of the grass, which builds healthy soil and eliminates the need for grass killing herbicides. Visit LawntoGarden.org to for workshops and videos.
  3. Keep pests away by using less-toxic products. Ditch the pesticides by removing pests naturally. Visit Our Water Our World website for a pocket guide to less-toxic products, lists of less-toxic product alternatives, and information on where to buy these products.
  4. Harvest rainwater to water your plants. Don't let good water go to waste! Capture rainwater to irrigate your plants and save up to $100 off a qualifying rebate from BAWSCA. Limit of 2 barrels per household.
  5. Use graywater to water your garden. Graywater is wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks, clothes washing machines, and laundry tubs. It does not include wastewater from toilets, kitchen sinks, or dishwashers. Learn more about graywater and how you can create a laundry-to-landscape system that redirects the rinse water from your clothes washing machine to your outdoor garden.
  6. Attend a free landscape class. The Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency provides free workshops that are designed to introduce homeowners to the concepts of water-efficient and sustainable landscaping.


Hire Qualified Professionals

Are you thinking about re-doing your garden but don't have the time? Consider hiring a qualified professional that has one of the following certifications:

rescape_logoReScape Qualified Professionals - These professionals have completed a comprehensive training program and use a sustainable, holistic approach to the design and management of your landscape. For a list of qualified professionals, visit the ReScape California directory.


QWEL_LogoQualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL) - These professionals have been equipped with knowledge in water efficient and sustainable landscape practices, including water management and preservation of other valuable resources. For a list of QWEL Certified Professionals, visit the QWEL directory.


Irrigation System Resources Water Efficient Landscaping
  1. Drought: Irrigation Tips (University of California)
  2. Drip Irrigation (UC Master Gardener Program)
  3. Smart Irrigation Controllers (US EPA)
General Landscaping Resources
  1. Water Wise Gardening in the Bay Area (BayAreaGardening.org)
  2. Landscaping Tips (US EPA)
  3. How to Save Water Around the Yard (Save Our Water)
  4. Drought: Gardening Tips (University of California)