The City asks residents to prioritize sustainable landscape management practices when deciding on landscaping for their property. Sustainable landscaping increases the health of residents, landscaping contractors, and the environment. Check out the City’s Natural Lawn Care Tips to familiarize yourself with some easy sustainable landscaping practices. To better understand the effects of pesticides, visit Midwest Grows Green. To find out some of the environmental hazards of gas powered lawn equipment, check this page and its resources from the American Green Zone Alliance.

When deciding on your landscaping, please look over City code that pertains to landscaping, which can be found on the Current Landscape Management Ordinances page.For example, leaf blowers may only be used during certain times of the spring and fall each year. Additionally, consider applying for a parkway planning permit here to install pollinator-friendly plants.

If utilizing a landscaping company, make sure that they are registered with the City and make sure that they will comply with the City’s leaf blower ordinance, which bans the use of gas- and propane-powered leaf blowers. They may qualify for a grant to replace gas powered leaf-blowers or implement other sustainability measures through the Sustain Evanston program.

Photo by David Carley