Enjoy the 7th Annual Better Lawns & Gutters Tour
August 16, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
See how native plants and rain gardens beautify yards, improve lakes and streams
The 7th Annual Better Lawns and Gutters Tour, sponsored by the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission,
will take place on Saturday, August 16th, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Featuring sites in Middleton, the Better Lawns and Gutters Tour shares how area residents are using native
plants, rain gardens and rain barrels in their yards to reduce stormwater runoff and the amount of nutrients,
chemicals and other pollutants that are carried from our lawns, gutters and streets to our lakes and streams.
The Tour Information Center, which will be at the Bruce Company, 2830 Parmenter Street, highlights ideas on
beautifying your landscape, saving time and money on maintenance, attracting wildlife and helping our lakes,
rivers and streams. Event partners include the Madison Audubon Society, Wild Ones, Healthy Lawn Team, and the
City of Middleton. Garden owners will be available during the Tour to answer questions at the Tour sites.
Native plants can replace all or part of a traditional lawn. They are hardy, low-maintenance, a delight to
the senses and attract butterflies and birds. They do not require frequent mowing and watering that traditional
lawns do. In dry weather, native plants are one of the few green things in yards, because their roots go so deep.
They are better suited to this climate and can withstand periods of drought.
Rain gardens are shallow depressions positioned near downspouts to keep rain where it falls. By allowing
stormwater to infiltrate into the ground rather than becoming runoff, rain gardens cut down on the untreated
stormwater that makes its way—along with the sediment, fertilizer, oil, pet waste and other pollutants it
carries—to our lakes, streams, rivers and wetlands.
The Better Lawns and Gutters Tour is a program of the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission, focusing
public attention on the importance of protecting and improving the quality of our lakes, rivers, streams and
wetlands. For Tour maps and more information, as well as other ways residents can help reduce stormwater runoff,
visit www.danewaters.com.
Tour Brochure
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