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14 Programs That Pay You Money to Install Water Efficient Landscaping

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You may have heard that you can save big bucks on water and maintenance by renovating your landscaping to be more water-efficient.

water efficient landscaping

But, did you know that Cities across the country will pay you cash to do it?

As water supplies dwindle and populations rise, many municipalities are offering great incentives for reducing water use in the landscape.  When property owners, businesses, or managers factor in the payback from these rebates along with the water and maintenance savings, a landscape renovation can make a lot of sense.

The 2 Main Types of Rebates

Generally speaking, incentives for reducing water use fall into two categories.  The first category is paying customers to remove landscapes that have high water use and replace them with attractive low water use plantings, and the second category is to provide rebates for purchasing and installing irrigation components that reduce water use and that are more efficient than older systems.

As we have discussed in the past, the real water savings (as well as the largest rebates) come from replacing high water use lawns and landscaping, with new plantings that require less water and are more adapted to the local climate.  There are many benefits to this approach- see The Top 10 Benefits of Making Landscaping More Water Efficient.

14 Specific Examples of Rebate Programs

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Incentives for Removing Turf:  $0.75 per square foot for single family homes and multi-family or commercial properties.

Equipment Rebates:  Rebates for smart controllers, rain sensors, rotary nozzles, and equipment for removing sod and placing compost.

Additional Program Notes:  Rebates of up to $150.00 are also offered for rainwater collection systems, and with the installation of a rainwater collection system the incentives double to $1.50 per square foot.  Residents may also receive a $20.00 credit for attending a water efficiency class.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Equipment Rebates:  Rebates for smart water controllers, weather sensors, and moisture sensors for single homes and multi-family or commercial properties.

Additional Program Notes:  Rebates include 50% of the purchase price for valves, and $75.00 per drip zone installed.

Aurora, Colorado

Incentives for Removing Turf:  $1.00 per square foot, up to $10,000 for single family homes, and up to $25,000 for multi-family or commercial properties.

Additional Program Notes:  Rebates are also available for removing old hardscapes, and for seeding areas with native grasses.

Denver, Colorado

Incentives for Removing Turf:  $18.50 per 1,000 gallons of water saved for multi-family or commercial properties.

Equipment Rebates:  Single family residential customers can receive $2.00 per efficient nozzle and $100.00 for weather-based smart controllers with rain sensors.  Multi-family or commercial properties can receive $2.00 per efficient nozzle, and 25% of the cost of a smart controller.

Boulder, Colorado

Equipment Rebates:  Single family residential customers can receive up to $1,000 for installing smart controllers and rain sensors.  Multi-family or commercial properties can receive up to $5,000 for installing smart controllers and rain sensors.

Additional Program Notes:  Rebates are also available for rotary nozzles, mpr spray heads, pressure reducing drip valves, and backflow prevention devices specifically made for drip systems.

Louisville, Colorado

Incentives for Removing Turf:  $0.25 per square foot for installing drought tolerant Buffalo Grass for single family homes and multi-family or commercial properties.

Equipment Rebates:  Rebates of $50.00 for moisture sensors, and 50% of the purchase price of a drip irrigation system are available for single family homes and multi-family or commercial properties.

Castle Rock, Colorado

Equipment Rebates:  Single family residential customers can receive up to $550.00 for installing smart controllers, rain sensors, and rotary nozzles.  Multi-family or commercial properties can receive up to $3,550.00 for installing smart controllers, rain sensors, and rotary nozzles.

Additional Program Notes:  Rotary nozzle rebates are available for up to $200.00 for single family residential, and up to $2,000 for multi-family or commercial properties.  Rebates are available for 50% of the purchase price of smart controllers and rain sensors.

Peoria, Arizona

Incentives for Removing Turf:  Rebates of up to $1,650 are available for single family homes and multi-family or commercial properties.

Equipment Rebates:  Rebates of up to $250.00 are available for installing  smart controllers.

Chandler, Arizona

Incentives for Removing Turf:  Up to $3,000 for single family homes and multi-family or commercial properties.

Equipment Rebates:  Single family residential customers can receive up to $250.00 for installing smart controllers.  Multi-family or commercial properties can receive up to $1,250.00 for installing smart controllers.

Additional Program Notes:  A minimum area of 1,000 square feet of turf must be removed to qualify for turf removal incentives.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Incentives for Removing Turf:  $1.50 to $1.00 per square foot, up to $300,000 for single family and multi-family or commercial properties.

Equipment Rebates:  50% of the cost of smart controllers, and $25.00 for rain sensors for single family and multi-family or commercial properties.

San Diego, California

Incentives for Removing Turf:  $1.50 per square foot up to $3,000 for single family homes, and $1.50 per square foot up to $9,000 for multi-family or commercial properties.

Equipment Rebates:  Single family residential customers can receive up to $400.00 for installing smart controllers.  Multi-family or commercial properties can receive $25.00 per station up to 68 stations ($1,700) for installing a smart controller.

Additional Program Notes:  Rebates of $0.50 for every gallon of storage capacity up to 400 gallons are offered for rainwater collection systems.

Santa Clara, California

Incentives for Removing Turf:  $0.75 per square foot up to $2,000 is available for for single family homes, and $0.75 per square foot up to $20,000 is available for multi-family or commercial properties.

Equipment Rebates:  Rebates are available for smart controllers, rain sensors, rotary nozzles, and dedicated landscape meters.

Additional Program Notes:  Rebates of $1.50 per square foot up to $30,000 are also available for commercial properties through a “cost sharing areas” program.

Austin, Texas

Equipment Rebates:  Single family residential customers can receive up to $375.00 in equipment rebates.  Multi-family properties can receive up to $500.00 for new equipment.

Additional Program Notes:  Rain water harvesting rebates of up to $5,000 are available for no-pressurized or pressurized systems.

San Antonio, Texas

Incentives for Removing Turf:  Rebates of up to $400.00 are available for reducing water bill for single family homes and multi-family or commercial properties.

Equipment Rebates:  Rebates of up to $3,200 are available for installing smart controllers, rain sensors, and rotary nozzles.

Additional Program Notes:  Incentives are offered for capping irrigation zones and/or converting existing irrigation systems to drip.

 

These incentive and rebate programs are typically limited to a maximum allowable rebate amount based on the area of the project, and the purchase price of the irrigation components.  Many of the programs also are only available on a first come first serve basis.  With limited funding many municipalities exhaust their funds in the first few months of the year.  Other program requirements include selecting plants from specific drought tolerant or native plant lists, percentage of plant area coverage, and the make and model of irrigation components.

Because of the complexity of the projects and the paperwork involved, it may make sense to have a landscape architect assist you for a moderate fee.  These professional consultants can prepare any plans that are needed, submit applications, gain approval from local building departments and HOA’s, and maximize the potential rebate amount you will get back.

In addition, most states require a licensed landscape architect to prepare plans for any major renovation on a commercial or larger residential property.  The fees for these services are often offset by the savings that come from having a good plan that can be accurately bid and installed by contractors.

So, if you are looking to make your property more sustainable, update it’s image, and save on maintenance and water, look into what programs may be available in your area.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

 

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Photo of the Day – Beautiful Beech Tree with Pink Leaf Margins

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tri color beech tree

I took this photo a few years ago while traveling through Germany.  I believe that this is a Tri Color Beech or Fagus sylvatica ‘Roseo-Marginata’.  We were in a park that had several huge, towering trees that were covered in a pink hue!  I had never noticed trees like these before.

When we got back home, I did a little research and the consensus seemed to be that these beech trees do not grow so well here in Colorado.  However, I just looked it up in the Front Range Tree Recommendation List, and it was given a “B” grade (not too bad).  Has anyone out there planted these?  What experiences can you share about this tree?

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.

 

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The 10 Best Evergreen Xeriscape Plants for Colorado

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Evergreens are important Xeriscape plants for Colorado landscapes.  Since lawn areas are often limited in Xeriscaping design, evergreen plants can step right in to provide rich green color all year long.

Evergreen plants also provide great contrast with other plants, particularly with the the foliage and seed heads of ornamental grasses, and as a backdrop for flowering shrubs and perennials.  And evergreens can often be utilized to effectively create privacy and screen or block undesirable views in the landscape.

I am limiting this top 10 list to evergreen shrubs.  Another very interesting category of plants are the so called “semi-evergreens”, which are deciduous plants that keep all or part of their foliage throughout the winter.  I will do a future list of the top semi-evergreen Xeriscape plants. I am also excluding large trees from this list, as they are a category unto themselves and many people are already familiar with evergreen tree choices.

Although this is a Colorado list, most of these plants can be used in many places throughout the world depending on the local climate.

Manzanita

  • Panchito Manzanita – Arctostaphylos x coloradoensis ‘Panchito’   Panchito Manzanita is a low growing woody shrub with shiny, oval, dark green leaves that persist throughout the winter. It gets small, pale pink flowers followed by small red berries- but it’s best characteristics are the evergreen foliage and the fact that it requires little care or water.  The only time I have had an issue with this plant was when it was placed in an area with very poor soil and poor drainage- even then, the plant looked healthy, it just didn’t get any larger.
  • Kinnickinnick – Arctostaphylos uva-ursi    Since the Mock Bearberry and Panchito Manzanitas have become some of my favorite plants, I started taking a second look at their cousin the Kinnickinnick.  This plant has been around for a long time and thrives in the eastern U.S.  Here in Colorado, it needs full to partial shade and requires a little more water.  It stays a little smaller than the other Manzanitas, but since there are so few evergreens that thrive in shade it is an invaluable plant.

Oregon Grape Holly

  • Oregon Grape Holly – Mahonia aquifolium    I consider Oregon Grape Holly to be an evergreen plant, even though that may not be botanically correct.  It has large, glossy leaves that persist through winter, turning bronze-red, and gets clusters of small yellow flowers in the spring.  It can handle a ton of different conditions, from partial sun, through full shade, and doesn’t seem to mind the toughest clay soil.  This plant is a true staple of the Colorado Xeriscape.  Oregon Grape Holly gets about 4-6 feet wide and tall, with the “compacta” variety staying about half of that size.
  • Yucca – Yucca ssp.    Native to the Southwestern United States and Mexico, Yuccas are another plant that is not generally thought of as an evergreen.  But they are just about the perfect evergreen plant for a Xeriscape!  Yuccas provide really good steady green foliage that can blend in with other plants or be used as a statement with it’s unique form.  A tall stalk of white flowers appears in summer to make these plants all the more interesting.  All that, from plant that is native to Colorado and requires no maintenance or no supplemental watering!  Note: Red Yucca is another great plant that gets red flowers instead of white.  It’s scientific name is Hesperaloe parviflora.

Agave parryi

  • Agave – Agave parryi    Agaves are very similar to Yuccas, and provide many of the same benefits.  They tend to grow slower, and are a little smaller, so I recommend using them closer to pathways so their foliage can be enjoyed.  Agaves only flower once every 25 years, sending up a very tall flower stalk.  After they flower, the parent plant dies, and is replaced bu suckers from the root.
  • Dwarf Globe Blue Spruce – Picea pungens ‘Glauca Globosa’    Most people would not consider this a true Xeriscape plant, but I am including it because I have had very good luck with these plants in Xeriscapes.  Being a spruce, they do require a little more watering until they are established.  However I have seen these plants used in low water use landscaped on the same drip zone as true Xeriscape plants and they have thrived.  The blue color and the fact that they stall relatively compact are characteristics that cannot be found with any other plants that I am aware of.

Mugo Pine

  • Mugo Pine – Pinus mugo ssp.    Mugo pines can provide very good dark green color, and are perfectly adapted to Colorado’s climate.  They are a perfect accent to boulders and flowering perennials.  Be sure to give them plenty of room, they are slow growing and are usually pretty small at the time of planting- however most of the varieties will get quite large over time.
  • Spreading Junipers – Juniperus horizontalis ssp.    Junipers have been given a bad name, as we have written about before, but creeping or spreading junipers require little maintenance and can be very valuable parts of a well designed Xeriscape.  These plants work well when mixed with a variety of flowering and deciduous plants and grasses.  They can provide good ground coverage and green color to break up large mulch areas and as understory between shrubs.  Varieties such as “Youngstown” and “Blue Chip” offer a variety of green to blue-green hues.

Upright Junipers in Xeriscape

  • Upright Junipers – Juniperus scopulorum ssp.    These upright shrubs can work well as vertical elements in a Xeriscape (as seen above), or to provide screening of utility areas.  Some of the varieties stay very narrow, which can be invaluable in tight spaces where evergreen trees would get far too wide.  Be wary of limb breakage in very heavy snows, especially with very narrow varieties such as “Skyrocket”.  Junipers are native to Colorado and require very little water, care, or maintenance.
  • Compact Tanyosho Pine – Pinus densiflora ‘Globosa’    Compact Tanyosho Pine is a unique large shrub or small tree that has a very nice dark green color and requires minimal maintenance.  It is one of the rare evergreen trees that stays very compact, yet requires little water unlike many of the other dwarf conifers.  It also has an interesting form, with one or multiple bare trunks at the base with the needles forming a mound at the top.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.

 

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POLL: If You Could Have Your Landscaping Re-done in Any Style, Which of These Styles Would You Choose?

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We are conducting a new poll to learn more about the attitudes of people toward different landscape styles.  Please take a moment and vote below- Thanks!

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.

 

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USDA Releases New Updated Plant Hardiness Zone Maps

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New USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

On January 25th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released an updated version of their Plant Hardiness Zone Map.  Here are some excerpts from the USDA website, where you can also view and download the new maps:

The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones.
 
For the first time, the map is available as an interactive GIS-based map, for which a broadband Internet connection is recommended, and as static images for those with slower Internet access. Users may also simply type in a ZIP Code and find the hardiness zone for that area.
 
No posters of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map have been printed. But state, regional, and national images of the map can be downloaded and printed in a variety of sizes and resolutions.

My thoughts:  It is kind of surprising that the maps have not been updated since 1990.

You can enter your zip code, search by state, or simply click on your state on the national map to get a new state map.

Colorado, like most places, got a little warmer.  Now Zone 3 only includes areas at high elevations.  The foothills are a mix of Zone 4 and 5, and the urban “heat island effect” is taken into consideration with Denver in Zone 6.  What changes are you seeing for your area?

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.

 

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