Across form the Northglenn municipal complex on Community Center Dr., is the award winning E. B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park. It was named after a fallen police officer in 1985 and today it is one of the most highly used parks in Northglenn. The popularity of E.B. Rains, Jr. Memorial Park is well established in the community as it plays host to numerous community and family oriented special events. The park includes established amenities including five picnic pavilions, a playground, basketball court, and public restrooms.
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| other outdoor water conservation |
Conservation methods that are free to implement
- Regularly check pipes, hoses, valves and faucets for leaks.
- Use a pool cover to keep debris out of your pool and to reduce evaporation. Recycle water for use on lawn or garden.
- Use a bucket to wash your car. Use a shut-off nozzle on the hose to save water.
- Use a commercial car wash that recycles water.
- Set your lawn mower to mow one notch higher. Longer grass means less evaporation.
- Deep soak your lawn between 10pm and 7am to reduce evaporation.
- Use a broom instead of your hose to clean patios, driveways and sidewalks.
- Use drought tolerant plants in your landscaping. Mulch your garden to reduce evaporation. See the Xeriscaping section below for more information.
| | Conservation methods that are less than $50
- Aerate your lawn in the spring and fall.
- Install a rain sensor that will shut off your automatic sprinkler during or after rainfall.
| |  | Inches per Week of Water for Kentucky Bluegrass Lawn
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Tips for managing manual & automatic sprinkler systems
The following information is used by permission of Denver Water
To save water and money, apply only the amount of water your landscape needs:
- Measure the output of your sprinkler as described below, then calculate the minutes you need to water for your type of sprinkler.
- The graph below is for watering Kentucky Bluegrass. Reduce this amount for shrubs, flower beds, and vegetable gardens.
- Water your landscape in the cool hours of the day.
- Water only when the wind is calm.
- Count nature's contribution. If it rains, those inches should be deducted from your lawn's water needs for the week.
- Be sure to water only growing things. To date, no benefits have been shown from trying to get concrete to grow!
Measuring Sprinkler Output
- Set four identical cans at various distances from the sprinkler within its spray pattern. Turn the sprinkler on for 15 minutes. Short sided cans (like tuna or catfood) work best.
- Turn off the sprinkler and pour the water collected from the four cans into just one can.
- With a ruler, measure the depth of water in the can. This is the amount of water your sprinkler delivers in 1 hour.
- Based on this number (inches per hour), you can determine how long the sprinkler must run to provide your lawn with the amount of water it needs.
Once you know how much water your sprinklers put out, set them to water for the number of minutes necessary to apply the amount of water shown in the chart below. Remember to account for any rain that nature has provided.
When using the chart, keep in mind that the number given is the total water for the week, NOT the amount to water on each watering day.
For example, in June a typical Bluegrass lawn needs about 1½ inches of water per week. To provide this, you might spread the water evenly over three days by applying ½ inch on each watering day. In general, it is not a good idea to give the lawn its entire 1½ inches for the week on a single day. The numbers below can be reduced if your lawn is shaded by trees or has a northern exposure. | | Xeriscape myth busting – exploding some troublesome misconceptions
Jim Knof – Feb 2005
Xeriscaping is all good news. There is no downside. It saves water. It typically costs far less both to build, and to maintain than “traditional” landscapes. It attracts charismatic critters while discouraging wildlife mischief. It provides many great business opportunities. It offers new ways to provide year-round beauty. It is the best way ever to make gardening great by being something to do, rather than to be done with. It is simply all good news. However, many myths and misconceptions discourage people from reaping the rewards of this wonderful waterwise way to landscape.
Myth #1: Xeriscapes are dry only....NO!
The original meaning of the word “xeriscape” was simply waterwise, or water-efficient landscaping. Even though dry-only landscaping can be spectacularly colorful and even lush, limited areas of highly watered landscape are completely consistent with wise water use, if the return justifies it—for example, heavily irrigated athletic field turf.
Myth #2: Xeriscapes are rocks and gravel only...NO!
Although dry (xeric) rock gardens can be truly marvelous, there are an unlimited number of other choices for the xeric portion of xeriscape designs, even in the driest climates.
Myth #3: Xeriscapes are lawnless...NO!
Some lawn can be consistent with the concept of overall waterwise landscaping...”Less-lawn,” not “lawn-less” is a more appropriate phrase.
Myth #4: Xeriscapes are native only...NO!
Although there is a vast array of wonderful native plants for any region, introduced plants that are well-adapted, and not invasive, are an important addition to native flora for waterwise landscapes.
Myth #5: Xeriscapes cost too much to build and maintain...NO!
Xeriscapes can cost far less both to build and maintain than traditional landscaping which is usually dominated by high cost, manicured lawns that must be mowed weekly. A good waterwise landscape can be designed to avoid expensive automatic irrigation, and the money saved can be used for more plants. Many xeriscape designs need little or no regular maintenance, then maintenance by puttering becomes a wonderful reality. Xeriscaping actually saves money!
Myth #6: Xeriscapes are a single style...NO!
Xeriscapes can by any style. There are lush tropical xeriscapes, fascinating Sonoran desert xeriscapes, delightful Rocky Mountain xeriscapes, eastern woodland xeriscapes, formal, and informal xeriscapes. Xeriscaping is not a single style.
Myth #7: Xeriscapes are difficut...NO!
Xeriscaping is not difficult. In fact, it can be easier than traditional landscaping. Trying to create a manicured lawn on a rocky site, is far more difficult than creating a ground cover area with vines planted in only a few spots on the same site. Xeriscaping can be truly easy. Xeriscaping might mean learning a few new things, but that's not a downside, and it can be both easy and a lot of fun.
Myth #8: Xeriscapes need plants you can't get...NO!
There are more than enough xeric plants for xeriscapes. It is never hard to get shrubs like junipers, or rabbitbrush, or flowers like iris or penstemons, or ground covers like snow-in-summer. Plants for xeriscapes are just as available as plants for “traditional” landscaping.
Myth #9: Xeriscapes need more water to get started...NO!
Most plants in good xeriscape designs need less water (even the first year) than it takes to satisfy established high water landscapes. In fact, many low and very low water plants need only be watered when first planted. Even turf-type Tall Fescue and Buffalograss sod need less water the first year than it takes to satisfy established Bluegrass. Overall, most parts of most xeriscapes need less than half the water of established high water landscapes, even the first year.
Click here for a printable PDF version of "Xeriscape Myth Busting" |
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