Landscape Guides & Resources

What is a water-wise plant?

"A term used to describe water- and plant-management practice that emphasizes using plants that have lower supplemental water needs and grouping plants by water needs to encourage more efficient water use." - gardening magazine

See a list of water-plants best suited to the region.

Additional plant lists

Browse the websites below to explore what plants would be best for your project:

• California Native Plant Society's Plant Database
   
• UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars 
   
• San Jose Water Company's Water-Wise Plant Database
   
• Santa Clara Valley Water District's Approved Plant List
   
• PlantRight Guide to Better Plants

Whether you’re starting a new landscape project or maintaining your existing landscape, this information will help you quickly and easily find landscape professionals in your area. Receive advice and resources on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices from Santa Clara County's UC Master Gardeners.

Landscape professionals with rebate experience

The lists below are intended to help you find companies familiar with Valley Water’s rebate programs with experience in landscape design, construction, and maintenance. This information is not intended to be an endorsement of any one company. 

• List of companies that have experience working the Landscape Rebate Program projects and/or Graywater Installation, including the Graywater Rebate Program or Direct Installation projects.

Landscape professionals: If you wish to be added to or removed from this list or have general questions, contact Ashley Shannon at (408) 630-2951. Be prepared to verify that you have had three or more clients participate in the Landscape Rebate Program to be eligible to be added to the list.

Landscape professionals with sustainability background

This section provides a variety of landscape professional resources. They may not have experience with Valley Water's rebate programs, but do have experience in sustainable landscape practices or efficient irrigation techniques.

• Find a Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper in your area. A certification program to educate landscape professionals and their customers on effective landscape design, management and irrigation practices, QWEL landscapers are trained in water-wise landscape practices including:
  • plant selection,
  • irrigation system design, and 
  • water Management
     
• Find locally-trained landscapers to help reduced water use and improve irrigation efficiency with the WaterSense Program.
   
• Find a Green Gardener trained in sustainable landscape maintenance practices.
   
• The California Landscape Contractors Association offers a list of certified landscape contractors also.
   
• Greywater Action and Central Coast Greywater Alliance provide lists of experienced graywater contractors also.

There are many nurseries in the Bay Area that carry a variety of water-efficient plants appropriate for our climate. These nurseries also have trained staff to help with your questions. Check out our list of local nurseries [PDF] to help you get started. 

Additionally, find EPA WaterSense-certified products and water-saving tools, tips, and more.

View design guides and templates to create a sustainable landscape:  

• The Sustainable Landscape Guidelines offers a watershed approach to landscaping with in depth tips on improving soil health, capturing rainwater, plant selection, and design inspirations for gardens in Santa Clara County. Now available in multiple languages:
  • English
  • Spanish
  • Chinese

• Design templates of water-wise gardens from the South Bay Green Gardens Work Group. The group also provides resources for composting, rainwater harvesting (including rain barrels), stormwater pollution prevention, integrated pest management, climate-appropriate landscaping, and more.

• Get free landscape design assistance with the Calscape Garden Planner.

• Ready to remove your lawn? Apply for the rebate and once approved, start with this comprehensive guide to Sheet Mulching.

• Looking to install beautiful, low-maintenance landscaping that won't burst your water budget? Get your project started with some ideas from San Jose Water Company.

See examples of sustainable landscapes and get inspired to create your own:  

• Find water-efficient demonstration gardens in your neighborhood for inspiration! Demonstration gardens are wonderful sources of inspiration and practical information for families and landscape professionals alike. Visit our demonstration gardens page to plan your visit.

• Check out this photo gallery of landscapes that completed our Landscape Rebate Program. 

• View photos from the California Water Efficiency Partnership.

Lawns can be the single biggest water user for a typical property; a small lawn can use more than 18,000 gallons a year. That means lawns offer the greatest potential for water savings! Consider eliminating unused lawn and re-landscaping with permeable paving materials and plants appropriate for our local climate.

Maintaining and watering lawn during drought

During a drought or high temperatures, managing the water that you apply to your lawn is essential. Following some simple maintenance best practices can also help it survive the drought.

Tips include: 

• Water less. Reduce the number of watering days per week and/or reduce the minutes of watering per day. The lawn won’t look its best, but it will survive.
   
• "Cycle and soak” method.  Split your watering time into two cycles spaced about an hour apart to allow the water to soak in, reducing runoff and water waste.
   
• Check your sprinkler heads. Repair broke, crooked or sunken heads and clogged nozzles. Adjust the spray pattern to prevent sprinklers from watering pavement.
   
• Adjust mow height. Mow lawns 2½-to-3 inches high once a week. Taller grass blades promote deeper roots and will shade the soil, resulting in less evaporation.

Find more tips in our Drought Survival: Lawn Care Guide [PDF].

General lawn care tips

• Lawn irrigation, fertilizer-use, and maintenance information from the California Water Efficient Partnership.
   
• Thinking of artificial turf? Although artificial turf is appropriate for some properties and uses less water than natural turf, the district’s artificial turf information sheet may help encourage you to choose low water-using landscapes that can effectively promote biodiversity and help fight climate change instead.

Easy Guides

• Are you a site manager or property manager and don't know where to start? The Pacific Institute offers this step-by-step guide for taking sustainable landscape projects from ideas to reality!
   
• Ready to remove your lawn? Apply for the rebate and once approved, start with this comprehensive guide to Sheet Mulching.
   
• This City of San José Sustainable Landscaping Guide will help you make your garden more sustainable. How would you make this work in your own garden? See visual guides and sustainable-landscaping gardens you can visit in San José for inspiration.

Native plant and Master Gardeners

• Receive advice and resources on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices from Santa Clara County's UC Master Gardeners.
   
• Promote native plant species biodiversity within your landscape, and learn about the natural ecosystems of Santa Clara Valley from the California Native Plant Society.

These tips will help you maintain and care for new or existing trees and shrubs:

• Drought tips. Find easy guidelines to follow and protect your trees during drought or high temperatures from Save Our Water.
• Caring for trees. View quick tips for planting, watering, and pruning your trees from Our City Forest.
• Best practices. See a thorough list of Best Practices from the City of San José.
• Tree care resources. To learn steps to Save our Water and our Trees visit Canopy.

Visit our Sprinklers & Irrigation page to find easy-to-understand information about how residential sprinkler systems work, information on drip irrigation and other smart ways to reduce landscape water use, as well as loads of online resources.