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Making Your Lawn “Green” for Less Money
Source Reduction Grant, US EPA #X9-96479407-0
April, 2009
Louisville Water Company – Louisville Metro Government
Source Reduction GrantUS EPA #X9-96479407-0Louisville Water Company and
the Metro Government has been awarded a grant from the Pollution Prevention Division of the US EPA to study methods of:
Reducing lawn chemical usage, air emissions, and energy costs by using native grasses, trees, and flowering plants.
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Common Buckeye butterfly on Aromatic Aster
Wellhead Protection Plan
The Source Reduction Grant is a part of the Wellhead Protection Plan.Wellhead Protection is a plan designed to protect the groundwater that is a part of the supply of drinking water, from potential contamination.
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Riverbank Filtration Well, B. E. Payne Plant
Priority Area, WHPAThe priority area is based on the location of the current Wellhead Protection Area. While the educational materials will be made available throughout the US EPA’s Southeast Region, educational materials target the priority area. The WHPA includes approximately 900 homes and 250 businesses.
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Groundwater & Surface Water Protection
Why is it important to protect both the groundwater and surface water?Groundwater and surface water contribute to the overall environmental health of a region. By reducing/preventing potential pollution, you protect the environment in which you live, and well-being of every person in the region.
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Healthy wildlife is an indication of a healthy
ecosystem.
Guidebook for Homeowners
A guidebook has been developed for the homeowners in the WHPA. The guidebook encourages the use of:
Native species in the lawn and garden;Integrated Pest Management; andBest Management Practices--
to reduce the potential for pollution, conserve energy, and promote environmental health.
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Guidebook for HomeownersThe guidebook will help
the homeowner:Select native plants and design a garden or plot;Identify and combat weeds and other unwanted plants;Identify and combat pests; andIdentify beneficial insects and wildlife.
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Rose Verbena is a hardy native wildflower. It also makes a beautiful
groundcover with just 3 plants...
Native species are defined as those growing in Kentucky prior to the introduction of alien species by colonists. The guidebook includes a brief discussion of the various native wildflowers or grasses, and a picture to help with planning and identification.
The Purple Coneflower, (Echinacea purpurea), is a popular
native species, often found in many nurseries.
Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
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Species included within the guide were selected based on their availability for purchase by the average homeowner living in Louisville, KY.
Species shown are Little Bluestem, a native grass, and American Bell
Flower, a native wildflower.
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
Each listing contains:Common NameScientific NamePicture of the plantMap showing range of the plantHeightSoil, Sun, & Space RequirementsBloom TimeTolerancesColorWildlife AttractionComments
Aromatic AsterAster oblongifolius
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
Wildflowers are grouped according to sun requirements:•FS = Full Sun•PS = Partial Sun, (afternoon sun)•PSh = Partial Shade, (morning sun)•FSh = Full Shade
Rue AnemoneAnemone thalictroides
FSh-PSh
Arrow-leaved AsterAster sagittifolius
PShNew England AsterAster novae-angliae
FSMonarch Butterflies
Wet, wooded areas
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
Sky Blue AsterAster azureus
FS
Foxglove BeardtonguePenstemon digitalis
FS-PS
Showy BeardtonguePenstemon cobaea
FS-PS
Butterflies LOVE blue and purple flowers!
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
Wild Bergamot, (Monarda)
Monarda fistulosaPS
Black Cohosh, Snakeroot
Cimicifuga racemosaFSh-PSh
Eastern Blue StarAmsonia tabernaemontana
FS-PSAttracts birds &
butterflies
Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
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Virginia BluebellsMertensia virginica
FSh-PSh BonesetEupatorium perfoliatum
FS-PSCardinal FlowerLobelila cardinalis
FS-PSh
Many wildflowers that attract butterflies also attract long-tongued
bees– good pollinators!Butterflies & Moths
Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
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Wild ColumbineAquilegia canadensis
FS-FSh
Sweet ConeflowerRudbeckia subrtomentosa
FS-PShDutchmen’s Breeches
Dicentra cucullariaFSH-PSh Save these seeds for
Birds!
Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
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Rigid GoldenrodSolidago rigida
FS
Goldenrod is NOT an allergen!
Wild Blue IndigoBaptisia australis
FS-PShCopper Iris
Iris fulvaFS-PSh
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
Joe Pye WeedEupatorium purpureum
FS-PS
Large Yellow Lady’s Slipper
Cypripedium pubescensPSh
Turk’s Cap LilyLilium superbum
FS-PSh
Do not harvest from the wild!
Moist Soil
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
Great Blue LobeliaLobelia siphilitica
FS-PSh
Purple MilkweedAsclepias purpurea
FS-PS
Blue MistflowerEupatorium coelestinum
FS-PS
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
Creeping Moss PhloxPhlox subulata
FS
Good groundcover!Meadow Phlox, Wild
Sweet WilliamPhlox maculata
FS-PSh
Rose MallowHibiscus moscheutos
FS
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
Shooting StarDodecatheon meadia
FSh-PSh
SundropsOenothera fruiticosa
FS Tickseed SunflowerBidens aristosa
FS
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
Erect Red Trillium, Wake Robin
Trillium erectumFSh-PSh
Repels wildlife!
Toad Shade TrilliumTrillium cuneatum
FShTwinleaf
Jeffersonia diphyllaFSh-PSh
Good groundcovers under trees!
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Wildflowers
Rose VerbenaVerbena hastata
FS-PS Giant SunflowerHelanthus angustifoliius
FS-PSGood groundcover!
Wild PinkSilene caroliniana
FS-PSh
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Native Grasses
1. Native grasses are being crowded out by exotic, invasive grasses, and eaten by wildlife to endangerment because they are more nutritious.
2. They may be used as a dramatic planting, to add variety to a flower garden, or in meadows. Big Bluestem – Andropogon gerardi
Many native grasses are an attractive addition to a lawn.Want to attract wildlife to your yard?
Plant some native grasses!
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Listing of Kentucky’s Native Grasses
Bottlebrush GrassElymys hystrix
FSh-PSh
Giant PlumegrassSaccharum giganteum
FS
Fox SedgeCarex vulpinoidea
FS-PS
Native grasses also attract birds to your yard!
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Native Plants for Landscape Use
A listing of all the native plants, (from the USDA and US Division of Forestry), is also available in the guidebook. Use this list when shopping for native plants from general nurseries– but be careful! Make sure to purchase native plants by the scientific name, not the common name!
Flowering DogwoodCornus florida
Homeowners can purchase native plants from local nurseries, or grow their own from seed. Most native plants listed are perennials, which return every year.The Guidebook has a listing of many of the Native Plant Nurseries in KY. There are several local nurseries that specialize in native plants!
The Salato Wildlife and Native Plant Center, in Frankfort,
Kentucky, provides native species available for purchase by
homeowners during their annual spring, summer, and fall plant
sales.
Guidebook for Homeowners—Native Plant Nurseries
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Guides to many unwanted plants were also prepared to alert the homeowner to exotic, invasive species, as per the Kentucky Plant Council. Queen Anne’s Lace, (Daucus carota), is a
common invasive, exotic species brought by the colonists to the Americas for medicinal
use. The Kentucky Plant Council has prepared a list of severe, moderate, and lesser threats to Kentucky’s ecosystems,
which is included within the guide.
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Exotic, Invasive Species
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Exotic, Invasive Species
Kentucky 31 FescueFestuca elatior Purple Loosestrife
Lythrum salicaria
English IvyHedera helix
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Common Weeds
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Blackseed Plantain
Common RagweedCrabgrass
Curly Dock
Purslane
Guidebook for Homeowners—Louisville Unwanted Plants
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Bradford Pear
Red Crabapple
Scarlet Firethorn
Guidebook for Homeowners—Toxic Plants
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Johnson Grass
Pokeberry
Poison Hemlock
English Yew
Dwarf Larkspur
A complete index of native wildflowers, grasses, exotic invasive species, common weeds, and toxic plants is also included.
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Common Buckeye Butterfly on Joe Pye Weed, LWC Butterfly
Garden.
Guidebook for Homeowners—Index
A questionnaire, illustrations, and guidelines have been developed to help the homeowner design and plant a wildflower garden.Tables have been included that describe the different species listed in the guidebook and their characteristics.
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Great Blue Lobelia, LWC Butterfly Garden.
Guidebook for Homeowners—Garden Design
The garden design section also describes how the homeowner can design a backyard habitat for wildlife– or select plants that repel specific wildlife, such as deer.
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Many homeowners enjoy watching wildlife in their back yard.
Guidebook for Homeowners—Garden Design for Wildlife
The guidebook also discusses different kinds of pesticides:Store it safely;Use it accurately by calibrating your equipment;Use it safely; andDispose of it safely.
Wear protective clothing when applying pesticides.
Guidebook for Homeowners—What You Need to Know-- Pesticides
For weed and grass control, glyphosate is recommended for use by the US EPA, because it takes only 10 daysfor the chemical to become an inert substance in the soils. (Low carry-over). The US EPA recommends that a 2% glyphosate mix be used to kill most weeds and undesirable grasses.
Glyphosate is sold under the brand name of “Roundup”, as
well as other names.
Guidebook for Homeowners—Integrated Pest Management
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Want to check the percentage of Glyphosate you are using? The pesticide bottle will list the percentage of Glyphosate in the liquid pesticide to be mixed. Use this formula to calculate the actual percentage of any pesticide you are using:
%P = A/g X pWhere %P = Percentage of glyphosate used
A = Amount, in ounces, of the pesticideused, per gallon
g = one gallon of water, (128 ounces)p = Percentage of pesticide in the original
solution used in the mix.
Guidebook for Homeowners—What You Need to Know-- Pesticides
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Non-chemical controls are offered as an alternative to pesticide use.Cultural controls are often a way to prevent damage from wildlife.Non-chemical and cultural controls are listed in Chapter 10.
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Sometimes, the use of an owl statue can repel birds
from unwanted areas, such as patios and vegetable
gardens.
Guidebook for Homeowners—Integrated Pest Management
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Integrated Pest Management
Many animals control pests in our yards–the Guidebook also contains Bat and Snake Identification Guides.
Big Brown Bat
Gray Bat Kingsnake
Ringneck Snake
Beneficial Wildlife
The guidebook also includes sections on the identification of:
Beneficial bugs, (butterflies, bees, and other creatures that can be of benefit in the garden);Benign bugs, (those that do no harm, or are neutral to the garden environment); and Pest bugs – those that can harm humans, pets, wildlife, or plants, or can be a nuisance.
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The Assassin Bug eats pest bugs in the yard.
Guidebook for Homeowners—Pest Identification
Guidebook for Homeowners—Pest Identification – Beneficial Bugs
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Ambush Bug
Cobweb Spider
Six-spotted Tiger Beetle
Ground Beetle
Predatory Mite
Damsel Fly
Guidebook for Homeowners—Pest Identification – Benign Bugs
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Large Milkweed Bug Horsehair Worm Tree Cricket
KatydidCarolina MantidHanging Fly
Guidebook for Homeowners—Pest Identification - Pests
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Japanese Beetle
Banded Ash Borer
American Dog Tick
Chigger Face Fly
German Cockroach
Mexican Bean Beetle
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Guidebook for Homeowners—Butterfly Identification – Beneficial Bugs
White Checkered Carolina Fritillary
Eastern Blue Orange Sulphur
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Red Spotted Purple
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Guidebook for Homeowners—“Green” Lawn Care
“Green” Lawn Care includes the use of Best Management Practices in the lawn to reduce the potential for pollution, and to save money!
For example: Putting grass clippings back on your lawn can reduce the need for fertilizers. The over-use of fertilizers can
damage or kill your lawn.
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Guidebook for Homeowners—“Green” Lawn Care
Compost is a great ‘top dresser’ for lawns. Not only does it help build up the soil, but it acts as a natural fertilizer for the lawn. Have your soil tested to see what it needs BEFORE applying chemicals.
Finished compost has an ‘earthy’ smell and is a dark color.
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Guidebook for Homeowners—“Green” Lawn Care
1. Use the Guidebook’s tips on seeding, fertilizing, mowing, and watering to save money and have a healthy lawn– one that helps the environment!
2. Aerate and de-thatch to keep your lawn healthy.
3. Spot-treat weeds, rather than apply a complete yard treatment. Core aeration keeps the soil healthy.
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Guidebook for Homeowners—“Green” Lawn Care
Select a lawn grass based on your needs– high traffic, shade, or low maintenance. Or use a groundcover instead of grass for a beautiful, less maintenance lawn.
Remember that “Low Maintenance” does not mean “No Maintenance”– but it does save time and money!
Tall Fescue is recommended as a low maintenance grass for
lawns with full sun.
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Thank you for your participation!
Marsha Meyer, Wellhead Protection Coordinator502-569-3600, ext. 1809
mmeyer@lwcky.com
Source Reduction Grant, Year-end Report – July 30, 2008
Spread the word! Guidebooks are available!