Water-wise isn’t just about using less water, it’s also about being creative with the water we do have -- especially the free kind that comes right from the sky. As evidenced by the memorable storms of recent winters, rain events are predicted to become more severe and less frequent in our area, meaning that [...]
Did you know the average family of four uses 5,000-8,000 gallons of water annually in their washing machine alone? If 100 families installed a simple Laundry-to-Landscape graywater system, we could save 500,000-800,000 thousand gallons of water a year and put that precious water into our gardens instead of sending it the waste water treatment [...]
The Mason Jar Test – Soil Composition A home soil composition test is the best way to determine what your soil is made of and how it will perform with regard to infiltration rates and nutrient availability. Follow these simple steps to conduct your own soil composition test: Use a clear, clean, empty jar [...]
Collecting rain from the roof of your house is easy, practical and can provide long-term savings on your water bill. Rain catchment also reduces the amount of runoff that flows into creeks and storm drains, easing the burden on wastewater treatment plants and reducing the amount of pollutants washed into local streams and rivers. [...]
Imagine a garden that thrives during droughts: bursting with colorful blooms, delicious fruit, the melodies of song birds, and healthy bees. The following landscape elements will help ensure that your garden is slowing, spreading, and sinking as much water as possible rather than wasting it and causing runoff. The result? Lush gardens that use [...]
Harvest More Rain in the Landscape with Rain Gardens A rain garden is a planted depression in the soil which slows and infiltrates rainwater before it becomes polluted and erosive stormwater runoff. Usually, it is a small garden shaped like a shallow pool or ditch, which collects rainwater from a roof, roadway, or nearby [...]
How to Create a Water-wise Habitat Garden (pdf) While many gardens can be designed around attracting particular kinds of insects or birds, it is also easy to plan and maintain your garden in a way that provides habitat and food year round for many and diverse migrating and stationary fauna. Be sure to consider [...]
Buckeye Nursery 2425 Old Adobe Rd, Petaluma 707-559-7081 www.buckeye-nursery.com Mon-Fri 8-5 Broad selection of California native plants, meadow grasses and habitat friendly choices for sustainable garden environments, which use less water and require less maintenance. California Flora Nursery 2990 Somers St, Fulton 707-528-8813 Hours vary by season. www.calfloranursery.com An unconventional nursery devoted to [...]
How to Harvest More Rain in the Landscape with Swales A swale is a ditch that is dug on contour, meaning that it runs perfectly level across the landscape. Swales are a great way to slow, spread and sink excess rainwater that would normally runoff. Swales can be as big or as small as [...]
Sheet mulching is simple, natural, and effective for getting rid of your lawn and/or weed issues PDF Version Sheet Mulching is a landscaping method used to build soil, prevent weeds, and retain water. It’s sometimes referred to as a mulch lasagna because a compostable weed barrier such as cardboard, compost, and mulch are layered [...]
