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conservation garden

Water Conservation Garden

Visit us

Come visit Utilities Kingston’s award-winning Water Conservation Garden at 1211 John Counter Boulevard and discover the secrets of growing a garden that only needs to be watered in the driest of times! Also, learn what else you can do to protect the water resource we all depend on.

The garden has lots of informative signs to introduce you to the variety of plants you will find there. There are over 30 garden areas in the Water Conservation Garden, as shown on the map below. 

Need some inspiration to get started in your own garden? Try incorporating the drought-tolerant, low-maintenance plants outlined in our water-wise garden guide. 

Garden areas

Map of garden areas

 

Each plant in the list below includes the garden area in which it lives. See if you can find your favourite plant when you visit!

 If you do visit, you may want to print this page and bring it with you for your walk through the garden.

Things you should know about smart gardening and landscaping

The following Utilities Kingston web pages contain helpful background information and practical tips for managing your garden in a water-friendly way.

Review nearly 100 conservation tips

  Visit our Conservation Tips page for other ways to save water, energy, & money.

Did you know? Dense and healthy vegetation helps reduce carbon emissions. 

By creating small carbon sinks in your backyard, you can absorb and store greenhouse gases, which would otherwise be present within our atmosphere. Plants also create a cooling effect through shade and evapotranspiration (by which plants uptake water from the soil to use for growth and photosynthesis).

Treated water use outdoors

 Reducing the amount of treated water used outdoors during the summer is an important part of water-wise gardening. Learn more by visiting Summer Use Water Restrictions.

Water wise plant guide 

Terms used in the plant list

Term Description
Sun Full sun; plants in this category do still benefit from shading of the soil and roots to lower temperature and slow evaporation
Partial sun 3/5 to 4/5 of sunlight hours in direct sun
Bright shade 2/5 of sunlight hours in direct sun
Shade-loving Deep shade to very little sun
Dry soil Soil that is usually dry, meaning at higher elevation or high sand content or both
Well-drained moist soil Soil that holds moisture but also allows oxygen to penetrate to the roots. Ideal for most plants. Achieved through a combination of high organic content and earthworms.
Sunshine Requirements
Preferred Soil Conditions
Drought Conditions

plants found