Be YardSmart
Did you know? Calgary’s drinking water is supplied by the Bow and Elbow watersheds, which face many pressures including a changing climate and growing population. You can help build resilient watersheds by creating a YardSmart yard. Use our new design guides to plant a beautiful garden bed that, once established, takes little time, effort and water to maintain.
Designs include:
- Layouts and plant suggestions for all areas of your yard – sunny, shady, wet or a combination of sun and shade.
- A brand-new native wildflower design that creates habitat for pollinators and promotes biodiversity. Included is step-by-step information on planting, watering and maintenance.
- Created in partnership with The Calgary Horticultural Society, these garden beds are designed to thrive in Calgary.
More YardSmart tips:
- Find trees and shrubs that are hardy enough for our unique climate. For Calgary, choose plants labelled hardiness zone 2 or 3.
- Having a good depth of quality soil ensures your plants can access more water. At least six to eight inches of soil is recommended. Adding compost is the best way to improve soil depth.
- Capture free rainwater in a rain barrel and use it on your trees, shrubs and flower beds.
Visit calgary.ca/yardsmart to access our garden bed designs and for a library of gardening tips, tools and resources.
The City of Calgary
