Sustainable Landscaping
healthy lawn care
rain gardens

 

 

URI CE Outreach Center, 3 East Alumni Avenue, Kingston, RI 02881
(401) 874-2900

The Botanical Gardens are a showcase for sustainable plants and sustainable landscape practices and are open to the public for learning and enjoyment. The healthy landscapes education program highlights some of the existing and newly enhanced features for demonstration.

The URI Master Gardener Demonstration Vegetable Garden, July 2004

The vegetable demonstration garden is a wonderful success each year and is designed and managed by dedicated URI Master Gardeners. The healthy landscapes program provided materials for the installation of a rain barrel within the garden area.

Healthy landscapes would also like to highlight the installation of a drip irrigation system that was installed by URI Master Gardeners in July 2004 as part of their on-going program. Also, refer to our healthy landscape factsheet water wisely for more information on proper watering.


ready-made rain barrel can hold 54 gallons of water


Rain barrel set on blocks to provide additional height for gravity flow. Roof gutter downspout replaced with a new section retrofitted to outlet about two inches above rain barrel (screened opening).

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URI Demonstration Vegetable Garden


URI Master Gardener Dick Perreault installs a new drip irrigation system in the Garden. July 2004.


This newly installed riser includes the mainline (1), a timer control unit (2), the filter (3), and pressure regulator (4). Other essential components of a drip irrigation system include the valve and backflow preventer, which are located at the main water supply in the Demonstration Vegetable Garden, and the drip tubing with emitters.


Newly installed drip tubing in the Vegetable Demonstration Garden. Also, only organic growing methods are used in the garden, such as using compost for fertility, and the straw shown in these pictures being used as mulch to retain moisture and reduce weed growth.


This is the timer used to automatically control the drip irrigation system in the garden. Drip irrigation can be set to run automatically, like sprinklers, or controlled manually. Manual operation allows you to take advantage of rainfall before applying unnecessary water.


The red dot in the picture above is the emitter where water is released into the root zone of plants from the drip tubing. Emitters should be checked regularly to ensure they are flowing and not clogged.


This is an end cap which prevents water from running out the end of the drip tubing.


Drip tubing needs to be staked down as shown in the photograph above to keep it from moving. If it moves the emitters in the tubing may no longer be targeting the root zone of the plants being irrigated.

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Other Types of Emitters Demonstrated, July 2003


shrubbler emitter


T-Tape tubing

close-up of T-Tape tubing

mister/spritzer