It is easy to forget that what you do in your yard may affect our creeks, lakes, aquifer, and springs. You can protect our water by:
- Turning off your irrigation system and only watering when grass blades start to fold up
- Not using fertilizers (or use phosphorus-free, slow-release nitrogen options if you must fertilize)
- Replacing some turf areas with native trees and Florida Friendly Landscapes
- Mulching plants and installing drip irrigation for establishment of new plants
- Re-using stormwater by using rain barrels or rain gardens
Resources
The Florida Friendly Landscaping Program of Alachua County has a great site with local classes and tips!
To learn more about plants that don't require much water, fertilizers, or pesticides check out FloridaYards.org. This site even has an interactive yard so you can start planning how to make your landscape more environmentally friendly today.
The St Johns River Water Management District has created a searchable Waterwise plant database to help you determine which plants are appropriate for your landscape given the growing conditions of your yard. The database includes great pictures!