Waterwise Gardening
In the summer months, domestic water use increases by 50% due to watering lawns and gardens. Traditional lawns and gardens require a lot of watering to maintain them. Waterwise gardens are a beautiful alternative to the traditional lawn and garden, and survive on rainfall alone after roots are established. Waterwise gardening uses drought-tolerant plants to create a sustainable landscape while conserving water. This type of gardening is also sometimes described as “xeriscaping”.
Xeriscape gardening is a concept that was first coined in Colorado in the 1970's by the Denver Water Department to describe the use of native and climate adapted plants in their yards. The term xeriscape is derived from the Greek words "xeros" for dry and "scape" meaning a view or scene. Using water more efficiently in the garden is important as summers become increasingly hot and dry, and particularly when watering restrictions are in place. Drought has become a reality in the City of Brantford and surrounding areas as the Grand River watershed has suffered one of its driest and hottest years. Helping your lawn and garden cope with drought can be accomplished by making the transition to xeriscaping or waterwise landscaping. The use of drought-tolerant plants and hardscapes such as walkways, patios and stones can be used to create a variety of beautiful landscapes that require less water, less money and less maintenance than traditional lawns.
The City of Brantford has put together multiple resources to help you transition and adopt waterwise gardening practices:
Waterwise Demonstration Garden
Come and be inspired by 7 different waterwise garden styles that use drought-tolerant plants, while keeping design and function in mind. See the link on the left for more information and for brochures.
Waterwise Plants for Brantford Booklet
The following booklet was created by the City of Brantford as a free online resource for residents who wish to add drought-tolerant plants to their landscape. This booklet includes a detailed plant list with colour photos as well as information on planning, design, preparation, planting, and maintenance of a waterwise landscape. Click for a PDF version of the Waterwise Plants booklet.
Water Conservation Bylaw
Click here to see the General Water Conservation Bylaw brochure.
Click here to see the Bylaw #79-2003 and Amendment #38-2004, Chapter 648 of the Municipal Code.
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General Waterwise Gardening Tips and Resources