Sustainable Landscape & Garden

Jeff Swano (President/Owner) and Freyja Conrad (Senior Design Consultant) of Dig Right In helped us design a landcape and garden plan that met our sustainability goals from the standpoints of water conservation and reuse, stormwater management, edible gardening, and wildlife/habitat restoration.

Our landscaping meets The Conservation Foundation's Conservation@Home Program certification requirements, as well as sustainable sites and water efficiency requirements for LEED certification. It includes:

• A large scale RainXchange rainwater harvesting system (1000 gallon tank, buried beneath permeable surface in our backyard, for reuse in watering outdoor plantings), which is being fed by storm water runoff from 50% of our roof, and by storm water permeating our property.
• 4 rain barrels for rainwater catchment and reuse.
• A rain garden.
• A bioswale.
• 92% permeable surfaces, allowing storm water to easily permeate the surface of our property.
• 95% drought-resistant native plantings and vegetation -- many meant to draw wildlife (primarily bees, butterflies, birds) and build habitat.
• Disconnected/buried downspouts.
• Plenty of edibles, including vegetable gardens, an herb/tea/medicinals garden, fruit trees (crab apple, peach, pear), a raspberry patch, and more.
• A vertical, aquaponic Tower Garden