For most of the 10 years I’ve lived in Gwinnett County, the Atlanta Metro Area has suffered some degree of drought conditions, belying the stereotyped “rainy night in Georgia”.  Two years ago we were under the severest watering restrictions ever seen in the region.  Homeowners were forced to turn off their automatic irrigation systems, and [...]

National Wildlife Federation Backyard Habitat Certification explained plus links to other backyard certifications and conservation sites.

The rainwater collection system is comprised of one, 250-gallon tank, two 350-gallon tanks, one 1100-gallon tank, and three rain barrel collection stations. The tanks are all connected and drain downhill. Each tank can be opened and closed depending on how the water collection progresses. The whole system can be drained if necessary. Each of the [...]

Rainwater harvesting is always beneficial, whether the water is used to water one houseplant or an entire garden. Also, the act of collecting rainwater can be an inspiration to other water conservation activities around the house. When deciding on a rainwater harvesting system, you will want it to be as large as you can afford [...]

In response to drought and limited water resources a number of new landscaping ideas have evolved to reduce water and maintenance requirements while still providing aesthetically pleasing landscapes. A philosophy for the conservation of water through creative landscaping has engendered the new term, xeriscape (pronounced “zera-scape”), The term xeriscape is derived from the Greek word [...]