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San Francisco Water Power Sewer. Services of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

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  • Current: Save Water in Your Garden

Save Water in Your Garden

To help the novice gardener or the experienced landscaper, we provide a variety of resources to help you create and maintain a beautiful, water-efficient and less toxic urban garden.

Rainwater Harvesting

Explore our rebates that lower the cost of a cistern or rain barrel for your home or business, enabling you to harness the bounty of rain we receive in our city.

Graywater/Laundry-to-Landscape

Don't let good water go to waste! Imagine using water from your shower or your clothes washer to help grow the plants in your garden. Using graywater can reduce the amount of drinking water used for landscape irrigation and reduce water entering our sewer system.

  • Gardening Publications

    SF Plant Finder

    SF Plant Finder is a resource for gardeners, designers, ecologists and others interested in greening neighborhoods, enhancing our urban ecology and surviving the drought. The Plant Finder recommends appropriate plants for sidewalks, private backyards and roofs that are adapted to San Francisco's unique environment, climate and habitats.

    Gardening Tips

    This booklet includes irrigation ideas, fertilizing tips, and planting recommendations for your garden. Additionally, the booklet offers monthly gardening tips that save water and reduce stormwater pollution to our Bay and Ocean.    

    Pest Control Tips

    This booklet covers a variety of information on less-toxic gardening, pest prevention and pest control. Additionally, this booklet offers tips on seedling care, plant diseases, and basic tree care practices.

    We have a limited supply of Gardening Tips and Pest Control Tips. Please call (415) 695-7310 to request your copy. When you call, please provide your name, your San Francisco mailing address and the name of which booklet you are interested in (or both).   

    Water-Wise Gardening for San Francisco

    This guide provides water-efficient landscape and irrigation tips for your next garden project or how make changes to your maintenance practices that can save you time, water and money. Topics like soil care, mulch, irrigation scheduling, low water-use plantings, and lawn care ideas are included to help you obtain a beautiful and efficient garden.

    San Francisco Low Water Use Plant List

    Looking for beautiful and water-efficient plants for your garden? View the Plant Water Use List for a reference of almost 1,000 shrubs, ground covers, vines and trees that thrive in San Francisco's climate and need little to no water after the plant establishment period.

    Lawn to Garden: A Guide to Sheet Mulching

    Converting your lawn to a garden doesn't have to involve toxic chemicals or costly expenses. Sheet mulching is an easy process of layering cardboard and mulch right on top of the grass. Then, you can plant your new garden straight into the mulch. For a step-by-step guide to the sheet mulching process.

    Thrifty 150

    See the list of 150 - Durable, Low Maintenance, Water Wise Plants Recommended by San Francisco Public Works.

    Sunset Magazine's Easy Waterwise Gardening

    In the West, water is as precious as gold. Most of our rainfall comes in winter, yet many garden plants need irrigation in summer, during our driest months. Seasonal droughts, groundwater pollution, and population growth stress this valuable resource. If we are to have enough water in the future, we must avoid wasting water in our homes and gardens today. 

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