Lawn & Garden

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Natural yard care

Learn 5 easy steps to a healthy, water-efficient landscape:

  1. Build healthy soil with compost and mulch
  2. Choose the right plants for your site
  3. Practice smart watering and irrigation
  4. Use natural pest, weed and disease control methods
  5. Practice natural lawn care

Or read about the 5 steps in the Natural Yard Care guide (pdf), or in Spanish El Cuidado Natural del Jardín (pdf).

Mark’s weekly lawn watering advice

Fall is arriving, and with cooler temperatures and shorter days, it’s the natural time to stop watering your lawn. In addition, we have had an unusually dry summer and the Seattle Regional Water System is facing a potential water shortage this fall. We are asking customers to voluntarily reduce their water use – including stopping watering lawns for the rest of the season.

Choose the right plant for the right place

The right plants for your site will grow deeper roots, have fewer pest problems, and need less water and work to look beautiful all year. Learn how to choose the right plant for the right place.

Save water each season

Spring

  • Mulch
  • Plant
  • Weed
  • Compost
  • Aerate lawns
  • Test irrigation

Summer

  • Mow higher
  • Go brown
  • Use drip irrigation
  • Use soaker hose

Autumn

  • Mulch with leaves
  • Plant
  • Weed
  • Compost
  • Fertilize lawns

Winter

  • Plan for spring
  • Tune equipment
  • Harvest rain
  • Sharpen mowers
  • Weed and mulch