HGTV Green Home 2008 Tour: South Veranda and Back Yard

Sit in the comfortable wicker chair and enjoy the view of the south garden and the lagoon. This garden boasts a variety of native and drought-tolerant plants, reducing the need for irrigation and fertilization. Birdhouses and flowering plants encourage birds and butterflies to visit, so be sure to bring along your bird identification books.

The back yard is large enough for a game of miniature golf, but small enough to mow with an old-fashioned push mower, which eliminates the need for a standard lawn mower that is powered by fossil fuels.

Tradition community collects storm water from the street, stores it in a network of retention ponds then uses it to irrigate neighborhood lawns. The home's rain-sensing irrigation system automatically restricts itself during wet weather.

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