Lawns, Gardens & Landscapes

Residential Water Use Lawns, Gardens & Landscapes

Lawns, Gardens & Landscapes

Your landscape includes your lawn, trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetable garden, and groundcovers. The lawn is likely a prominent part of your landscape. While the lawn may need watering and frequent care, it adds beauty to the community and a well-maintained lawn offers many benefits:

  • absorbs rain water runoff
  • decreases soil erosion
  • promotes neighborhood pride
  • reduces the urban heat island effect
  • increases property values
  • provides space for recreation and relaxation

Watering During Turf Establishment

Irrigating lawn with a sprinkler
If damage from voles, skunks, ice, cold temperatures or other factors have left your lawn a bit on the thin side, mid-spring is a good time to thicken up the stand. Likewise, if your landscape has a bare area due to construction or a major change, turf establishment is probably on the agenda. After the soil temperature has warmed to 50-55 degrees F for several days, been prepared with a power rake or core cultivator, the seeds dropped onto the bare soil or opened up turf stand and raked lightly with an upturned leaf rake, the next step is water to start the germination process.

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Turf Fertilization for Healthy Lawns and Water Resources

Fertilizer on sidewalk

The lawn fertilization season is just around the corner. For a healthy turf and to help protect water resources, following the traditional four step program may not be the best route to go.

A well-managed turf holds soil in place and acts as a filter for potential water pollutants. However, fertilizing more than is needed, at the wrong time of the season, or misapplying fertilizer can result in nutrient runoff with the potential to degrade water resources.

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Nebraska Virtual Green Infrastructure Tour

Nebraska Virtual Green Infrastructure Tour flyer

Join us on March 5, 2021 for the Nebraska Virtual Green Infrastructure Tour!  We will re-visit communities across Nebraska to higlight green infrastructure projects and programs, both large and small.

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Proven Rain Garden Plants for Nebraska

Joe-Pye Weed

Rain gardens have been a landscape feature for a while now. This has helped us determine which plants are proving to do well in the bottom of rain gardens.

Rain gardens are shallow depressions located where they collect rainwater from a slope or downspout. Their purpose is to make the most of rainfall when received by soaking it in and reducing the amount of runoff during rain storms.

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2021 Nebraska Virtual Green Infrastructure Tour - So nice, we'll visit twice!

Nebraska Virtual Green Infrastructure Tour

Join us on March 5, 2021 for the Nebraska Virtual Green Infrastructure Tour!  We will re-visit communities across Nebraska to higlight green infrastructure projects and programs, both large and small.

Read More

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