Designing a Water-Efficient Landscape

Over the course of a year, about half of the water used by a single-family household goes toward landscaping. Although outdoor residential water use varies tremendously across homes and climates, there are many sustainable landscaping techniques that will keep your yard looking beautiful and help to reduce your watering needs significantly.

 Choose Climate-Appropriate Plants

Planting native or water-wise plants is one of the easiest ways to reduce your landscape’s watering needs. Such plants survive on rainfall alone and, therefore, only need to be watered during exceptionally dry periods. The plants that fit this description vary across regions. To find those that meet your needs, take a virtual water-wise garden tour at h2ouse.org or get a listing at enature.com.

 Install a Drip Irrigation System

For plants that require watering, drip irrigation systems are becoming increasingly popular. Not only do they work just as well as traditional sprinkler systems, but they are so efficient that many water utility companies exempt them from restrictions during periods of drought.

 Install Rain and Soil Moisture Sensors

Automatic, sensor-based irrigation systems use rain and soil moisture sensors to determine whether or not to water plants. These products are easy to install on most sprinkler clocks and are relatively inexpensive, ranging from $25 to $250. Some states — Florida, New Jersey, Minnesota and Connecticut — even mandate the use of rain sensors in all new lawn sprinkler systems. According to a Florida study, using a rain sensor device generates an average 45 percent water savings for single-family households. See more information on rain and moisture sensors.

 Reuse Water

Because it is unnecessary to use pristine, drinkable water to irrigate plants, greywater recycling and rainwater harvesting systems can be used instead. These systems use rain or sink water and therefore reduce the net amount of water required to meet household needs.

 Miscellaneous Tips:

There are also ways to design your landscaping to make it more water efficient. Reducing the size of lawns, for instance, will contribute significantly to water-efficient landscapes because most grass types have high watering needs. You can also place plants with similar watering needs in the same general location so that you don’t have to choose between over-watering some and under-watering others. Finally, laying a coat of mulch over exposed soil around larger plants will help the soil retain moisture and nutrients.