Nationally, over 70 million pounds of pesticides are applied to lawns each year. Pesticides run off lawns and can contaminate rivers and lakes. The modern lawn requires significant amounts of water to thrive. In urban areas, lawn irrigation uses as much as 30% of the water consumption on the East Coast and up to 60% on the West Coast. You can save water in a rain barrel to water your plants and yard. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a rain barrel will save most homeowners about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months. A rain garden can help filter pesticides, fertilizer and other harmful chemicals by capturing runoff from impervious areas such as roofs and driveways and allowing it to seep slowly into the ground.

For more information visit:
www.epa.gov/greenacres/nativeplants/factsht.html#Native%20Plant epa.gov/nps/toolbox/other/cwc_raingardenbrochure.pdf www.epa.gov/greenscapes