The greatest water-savings can be achieved outdoors! Create your water-efficient garden or landscape using tools, tips, and other guidance from an array of industry experts included on this page. Use the buttons below to navigate to resources on a specific topic:
Garden Inspiration
Sometimes a little help from others can get the ideas flowing for your own water-wise garden or landscape project! These resources may provide you with some great inspiration as well as helpful guidance for your project design and maintenance.
Landscape Design
Use any of these 8 free, scalable, water-efficient, front-yard landscape design templates and their related garden maintenance manual.
Technical Assistance
WaterSmart plant labels highlight low water use plants to nursery customers.
Free garden consultation with a Marin Master Gardener for residential customers
By the Marin Master Gardeners
Marin Water partnered with UC Marin Master Gardeners to offer educational webinars on WaterSmart gardening practices
By the Marin Master Gardeners
Demo Gardens & Tours
Tour Eco-Friendly gardens in Marin and Sonoma County.
Youtube playlist of gorgeous eco-friendly gardens in Marin and Sonoma County.
Historic demonstration garden located in Ross. Open from sunset to sunrise.
By Marin Art and Garden Center
Local Marin County garden galleries demonstrating the versatility of California native plants.
Falkirk Cultural Center garden showcases sustainable landscaping practices.
By the Marin Master Gardeners
Demonstration garden in Tiburon featuring a variety of drought-tolerant plants.
By the Marin Master Gardeners
Water-Smart Plants
Whether you choose native plants or imports, make sure you select plants that are compatible with Marin's Mediterranean climate. Mediterranean plants require warm, dry summers, and receive most of their moisture during the winters. These resources provide guidance on the right fit for your property!
Find out the water use needs of almost any plant (Marin is in region 1)
By UC Davis
List of invasive plants to avoid when considering adding to your garden.
By Marin Water
Plant list for Sonoma and Marin counties that contains mostly native species.
Marin Master Gardener plant recommendations organized by category.
By the Marin Master Gardeners
A Collection of native plants curated by Bloom of California Native Plant Society.
Search the Arboretum All-Star plant database to find the plant perfect plant.
By UC Davis
Fire Safe Marin's list of plants to keep your yard safe from fire dangers.
Irrigation Tips and Tools
Not sure how much water your garden needs? The biggest water savings that can be made in our daily life can be found outdoors. Make sure you are maximizing your outdoor water-savings while still ensuring plant health with these resources.
Scheduling your irrigation system with info tailored to the weather in Marin County.
By Marin Water
? Access the scheduling tool here
Create an irrigation watering schedule that is customized to your landscape.
By the Sonoma Marin Water-Saving Partnership
? Access the scheduling tool here
Fire Safe Landscaping
When selecting plants, there are many factors that should be considered in addition to water conservation, including avoiding invasive plants and reducing the chance of a brush fire. Invasive plants introduced into local landscapes often end up invading surrounding natural areas, choking out natural plant communities and sometimes creating fire hazards. This guidance will help you make the right plant choices to mitigate these hazards and better protect your property.
Information about the combustibility of different types of mulch.
Learn about fire-resistant landscape design materials from Fire Safe Marin.
Information about plant spacing with respect to fire safety.
Marin Master Gardeners fire-smart landscaping resources.
By the Marin Master Gardeners
Great article with lots of visuals focused on defensible space zones
Hiring a Professional Landscaper
Maintaining or designing a water-wise landscape is not always a DIY endeavor and may sometimes requires the support of a professional landscaper. Use these resources for help with selecting a qualified contractor for your project.
Search this database to find a qualified water-efficient landscaper (QWEL) in your area to ensure there is a focus on maximizing water-saving strategies when implementing your project.
Directory of members of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers
ReScape
ReScape provides a regenerative, whole systems foundation to landscaping education, workforce development and policy, addressing climate change earthscape and land use issues.
Resources for Landscape Professionals
Add value to your services by providing clients with information on the most up-to-date water conservation practices and technologies through these training opportunities and other resources.
The Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL) program is an extension of the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership and provides a WaterSense certification in irrigation systems auditing.
ReScape provides a regenerative, whole systems foundation to landscaping education, workforce development and policy, addressing climate change earthscape and land use issues.
The program includes a basic introduction to wildfire science and recommendations for creating fire-smart landscapes. The program can be conducted in person or online.
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The Irrigation Association (IA) is dedicated to promoting efficient irrigation technologies, products, and services.
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ARCSA is an international nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable rainwater harvesting practices and provides training and certification opportunities for professionals.
Rebates and Incentives
Marin Water Rebates and Incentives
We offer landscaping rebates designed to help you save water and money. For a complete list, including indoor rebates, please visit our rebates page.
We have partnered with the Urban Farmer Store to offer free laundry-to-landscape graywater webinars and a $125 discount on your purchase of a graywater kit.
Rainwater harvesting is the practice of collecting rainwater from rooftops and storing it for later use.
Marin Water offers up to 50 cents per gallon of storage, not to exceed actual cost.
?️ Learn more about the rebate here
We partnered with Rachio and the California Water Efficiency Partnership (CalWEP) to offer Marin Water's customers a significant discount, up to 70%, on Rachio 3 controllers.
WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers act like a thermostat for your sprinkler system
Install a WaterSense labeled irrigation controller and receive a rebate up to $100.
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Marin Water is currently offering customers up to $3 per square foot cash rebate in return for replacing grass in their landscapes. Pre-approval is required to participate in this program