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Water-Wise Landscape for the Lower Midwest

Use this landscape plan to accent your home's entranceway, reduce the amount of ground devoted to turfgrass and make the most of the rain that falls. An artful rain chain and rock-filled basin help slow runoff from the roof and direct water into a dry creek bed. Plants in the stream bed are moisture-tolerant; those outside are drought-tolerant.

The plan can be adapted to a front-door, side-door or rear entrance. Below, you'll find it sized to a 27'-wide planting area and also a 50'-wide site.

Landscape Plan for a 27'-Wide Planting Area:

Plant List

A. New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus)
Alternative: Other medium shrub three to five feet tall

B. Adam's needle (Yucca filamentosa)
Alternative: Narrowleaf, plains yucca (Yucca glauca) or other evergreen, drought-tolerant accent shrub

C. Prairie dropseed (Sporobolis heterolepis)
Alternative: Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) or other ornamental grass or grass-like plant, one to two feet tall

D. Spotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata)
Alternative: Downy wood mint (Blephilia ciliata), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) or other flowering herbaceous plant, two to three feet tall

E. blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)
Alternative: Other flowering herbaceous plant, one to two feet tall

F. Green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)
Alternative: Rose verbena (Verbena canadensis) or other flowering groundcover, six to 12 inches tall

G. Wild iris (ris missouriensis)
Alternative: Blueflag iris (Iris versicolor) or other tough, small groundcover, two to four inches tall

H. Widowscross (Sedum pulchellum)
Alternative: Other moisture-tolerant herbaceous plant

Key

1. Stepping stone
2. Porch/Landing
3. Rain chain
4. Dry-stream bed
5. Rock/small boulder
6. Rock-lined basin or depression

Water-Wise Landscape Plan for a 50'-Wide Planting Area:
PHOTO
This to-do list will help you install this plan's key features:

  • Replace gutter downspout with decorative rain chain.
  • Create a depression at the base of rain chain, lined with locally available rocks or decorative gravel to slow water and encourage infiltration on site.
  • Using flagstone or pavers allows more rain to enter the soil beneath than would a concrete walkway; seek out porous pavement options if a more uniform surface is desired.
  • Choose plants well adapted to site, soil and moisture levels (drought-tolerant on higher ground, moisture-tolerant in dry creek bed.
  • Mulch with a generous layer of locally available organic mulch (shredded bark instead of gravel) to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

    Other ways to conserve water

  • Install rain barrels at inconspicuous gutter downspouts to catch roof runoff and use the water to irrigate your garden, container plants and lawn.
  • Reduce the amount of lawn by adding native plants adapted to your climate and site conditions.
  • Plant deciduous trees for shade.
  • Plant windbreaks to reduce evapotranspiration.
  • Water plants early in the morning to promote deep root growth. Water thoroughly when you water; don't simply wet the surface.
  • If you're planning to install your driveway — or repave an existing one — use edged gravel, pavers on sand, or porous pavement.
  • Wash your car on the grass instead of the driveway.

    Landscape plan by Leah Gardner
    Illustrations by Simutis Illustrations

    How to install your landscape plan

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