Water- wise yards benefit the environment
Creating a YardSmart, water- wise garden makes yardwork easier on you and on your wallet.
YardSmart gardening and Beauty on a Budget will be the focus at the garden show’s demonstration rain garden, presented by the City of Calgary’s Water Services department in partnership with the Calgary Horticultural Society.
The demonstration rain garden, in the greengate Equi- Plex, will show gardeners how to set up their own rain garden by directing rain from their roofs onto a garden bed.
No special equipment is needed; it’s simply a matter of how the garden is dug — the soil acts as a sponge for the rain.
The demonstration garden includes a cutaway model that shows how a rain garden works and what goes on underground.
Capturing and storing rainwater keeps water from overwhelming the city’s stormwater system, and also helps keep pollutants out of rivers.
“It creates a healthier water system,” says Calgary Horticultural Society horticulturist Kath Smyth.
The focus of Beauty on a Budget/ YardSmart is to show Calgarians how to create a beautiful garden while saving money and water.
When the correct plant is grown in the right spot, especially if it’s a water- wise perennial plant, it means less time and money is needed for watering, pesticides and fertilizers.
The more Calgarians manage stormwater on their property, “the more able we are to have a positive impact on the health of our rivers,” says Catriona Laird, public program co- ordinator with City of Calgary Water Services.
“There is something to be learned for everybody, wherever you’re coming from,” Laird says of the demonstration garden.