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Water flowing from the landscape after rainor during irrigation can pick up sedimentsan nutrients t at po ute streams, rivers, anthe Chesapeake Bay. When you prevent pol-

lutants from washing off your property youprotect your local streams, rivers, and theChesapeake Bay. The yard care practices thatfollow can lead to a healthier landscape andenvironment by preventing or minimizingpollutants from entering our waterways.

Keep Paved Areas to a MinimumHard surfaces dont allow water to soak

nto the ground. Water that drains offquickly takes pollutants with it and leads tostream channel erosion. If you are planning

to install a walk or patio, consider usingthese materials:

Gravel Wood chips Stepping stones Bricks or pavers on sand (without mortar)

Control the Flow of Water fromYour Yar

Maintain dense, healthy plant coverover your whole yard.

Make the downspouts on your housedischarge to grassy areas or plantingbeds where the water can soak in. Usesplash blocks to soften the impact.

o ect rainwater runo rom roo , inrain barrels, to water landscape plants.Take advantage of low-lying areas inyour yard by planting plants that cantolerate wet feet. Exam les include

swamp milkweed, New England aster,boneset, joe-pye weed, cardinal flower,and New York ironweed.

Use P anting Be sGroup plants in mulched beds instead of

placing them individually around the yard.This technique gives a more natural look to thelandscape and makes watering and weed con-trol much easier.

Mulched planting bedsprovide an area to recycle yard wastes,protect plants from lawn equipment,mo erate soi temperatures,conserve wa er,help control weeds, and

add organic matter to soil.Note: Do not pile mulch more than 2 inches

deep. Also, avoid using shredded hardwoodbark mulch on azaleas; instead use pine barkmulch. Over time, manganese builds up inthe decomposed hardwood mulch. Azaleas aresusceptible to manganese toxicity. If symptomslook similar to iron chlorosis but when testedand the soil pH is in the optimal ran e for aza-eas su an ane

andscapes That Help the Chesapeake Bay

Fact heet 701

Mulched planting beds create a more natural lookan provi e eneficia areas for p ants.

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Ret in Your LawnHealthy turf does an excellent job of pro-

tecting soil, slowing runoff, and trapping pol-lutants, but the basic upkeep takes energy,time, and money. You can conserve all threen the following ways:

Reassess your need for lawn area. Weighthe benefits of scenery, sitting areas,and play areas against the cost of main-tenance. If you have more lawn thanyou need, consider making it smaller.Your needs will change as your lifestylec anges.

Create planting beds. Fill them withflowers, ground covers, trees and shrubs;then mulch them. Use as many nativeplants as you can. They require less over-all maintenance, and if planned well, the

beds can provide four seasons of inter-est. Publication HG #120, Native Plantso Mary an : W at, W en, an W ere($5.00), offers many choices of nativeplants and is available from the Home &Garden Information Center.

Consider ground covers. In some parts ofthe yard, grass can be difficult or impos-sible to grow or to mow. An area may betoo shady, too rocky, or too hilly. Oftenyou can improve the conditions, but itmay be easier to plant something more

suitable for the site. Many ground cov-ers are less demanding than turf. Table1 has some good choices.

Avoid the possibility of damaging under-ground utility lines. One week before youplan to dig a hole to plantlandscape, call Miss Uomeone will come

off all undergroun Conserve Waterater-saving landscape practices reduce

runoff and help keep pollutants out of storm

drains that empty into waterways feeding theBay. Here are some i eas:

Use plants adapted to this region. Theycan better withstand periodic drought.I a pro em p ant ies in your an -scape, replace it with a native.

Try xeriscaping, using plants that areextreme y roug t to erant. ontact t eHome and Garden Information Center forHG 25, the fact sheet on xeriscaping or abrochure on drought-tolerant annuals.

2

Buffers protect the water supply and providehabitats for wildlife.

Ta e 1. roun overs.

Plant Height Light Conditions

Bearberry*Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 6-12 , psh

Bearberry CotoneasterCotoneaster dammeri 2-18 s

Black Huckleberry**

Gaylussacia baccata 18 psh, shBlue Fescue*Festuca ovina v. glauca 6-8 s

BugleweedAjuga repans 6-9 shWarning: This plant is a rapid spreader. Keep it in bounds and avoid planting it

close to natural forest areas where it can easily displace native ground covers.

CandytuftIberis sempervirons 6-12 sh

Checkerberry or Creeping Wintergreen**Gaultheria procumbens 6 sh

Christmas Fern**Polystichum acrostichoides 8-24 psh

Creeping Juniper*Juniperus horizontalis 2-24 s

Foamflower**iarella cordifolia 12 , sh

Lilyturf, Mondo GrassOphiopogon japonicus 3-15 , sh

LiriopeL r ope muscar , s

Mai en air Fern**antum pe atum 2-2 ps

Mountain tonecrop**e um ternatum - ps , s

Partri ge erry**

Mitchella repens 1-2 , shWild Ginger**Asarum canadense 12 psh, sh

Alleghany Pachysandra*Pach sandra rocumbens 6-12 sh

s = sun, sh = shade, psh = part shade

* native to the U.S.

** native to Maryland

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ssue n urt erance o ooperat ve xtens on wor , acts o ay 8 an une 30, 9 , n cooperaton wt t e . . epartment o Agrcuture, n versty o ary an , o egePark, and local governments. Thomas A. Fretz, Director of Maryland Cooperative Extension, University of Maryland.

e n versty o aryan s equa opportun ty. e n verstys po c es, programs, an act v t es are n con ormance w t pert nent e era an tate aws an reguat ons onnon scr m nat on regar ng race, co or, re g on, age, natona or g n, gen er, sexua or entaton, mar ta or parenta status, or sa ty. nqures regar ng comp ance wt te o

the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990;or reate ega requrements s ou e recte to t e rector o uman esources anagement, ce o t e ean, o ege o Agr cuture an atura esources, ymons a ,College Park, MD 20742.

Landscapes That Help the Chesapeake Bay

by

Peter J. Ricciuti

Faculty Extension AssistantHome and Garden Information Center

Contact t e

Home an Gar en Information Center

y p one at 1-800-342-2507

or on t e We at www. gic.um .e u.

V2003

ReferencesKissi a, ou , Pitt. 7 . Resi entia

Landscape Design with Trees, Departmentof Horticulture, University of Maryland.

University of Maryland CooperativeExtension, Home and Garden InformationCenter. 2000. Native Plants of Maryland:

W at, W en an W ere, H 2 .University of Wisconsin Extension. 1993.

Yard Care and the Environment Series.

Reviewe yZolna RussellLandscape ArchitectZolna Environmental DesignBaltimore, Maryland

Revise yWanda McLachlanArea EducatorCentral Maryland Research and Education Center

The Chesapeake Bay Trust provided total funding for this publication.