Sustainable Landscape Designfor Water Conservation

by Tom Barrett ● Green Water Infrastructure

30% of household water use

is used outdoors

(in the Midwest)

60%waterwasted

wastedwater

waterwasted

wastedwater

It Starts with Soil

less than1%

runoff

Compacted Soils

Without Top Soil

ADD ORGANIC MATTER

7% TO 12%

Native Plants

Practical Turf Areas

Natural Look

Grasses & Sedges

Yellow Fox SedgeCarex

brachyglossa1’-2’

Brome Hummock SedgeCarex bromoides

1’

Frank’s SedgeCarex frankii

1’-2’

Meadow SedgeCarex granularis

1’

TextText

Courtesy of Fischer Design

Grasses & Sedges

Fox SedgeCarex

vulpinoidea 1’-2’

Tufted Hair GrassDeschampsia

caespitosa1’ - 2’

Reddish BulrushScirpus pendulus

3’-4’

Prairie DropseedSporobolus heterolepis

1’-2’Courtesy of Fischer Design

Wild Flowers

Blue Flag Iris

giganticaerulea

1’-2’May-June

Marsh MilkweedAsclepias incarnata

3’-4’July-Aug

Autumn SneezeweedHelenium

autumnale L.3’-4’Sept-Oct

MonkeyflowerMimulus ringens

2’-4’July-Aug

Trees

Black MapleAcer nigrum

60-70’ tall

Shagbark HickoryCarya ovata

60-80’ tall

HackberryCeltis occidentalis

60-80’ tall

Thornless Honey LocustGleditsia triacanthos f.

inermis40 -70’ tall

Larger Shrubs

Indigo BushAmorpha fruticosa6-15’ tall

Gray DogwoodCornus racemosa

8-10’ tall

Staghorn SumacRhus typhina

15-25’ tall

Prairie WillowSalix humilis

6-712’ tall

Low Growing Shrubs

LeadplantAmorpha

canescens2-4’ tall

New Jersey TeaCeanothus americanus

3-4’ tall

Bush-HoneysuckleDiervilla lonicera

3-5’ tall

Sweet-fernComptonia peregrina

2-64 tall

Water

Contrary to popular wisdom

plants will not extend roots from dry soil into

moist soil

Soil Probe

ALTERNATE SOIL PROBE

Alternate Water

Sources

Rain Water

Gray Water

HVAC condensation• 15 gallons of water per hour.

• 360 gallons of water per day.

• 2,520 gallons of water per week.

• 10,000 gallons of water a month.