Be YardSmart
Enjoy a beautiful, productive yard that's easy to maintain and suited to Calgary's unique climate. A YardSmart yard can transform your lawn, plants and garden into an inviting landscape that will be an inspiration to your neighbours.
In the face of the pressures brought on by a changing climate and a growing city, a water efficient YardSmart yard helps keep our rivers – and our community – healthy and resilient.
Yardsmart plant guides
Visit our YardSmart plant guides.
Garden bed design guides
Not sure which plants to use or the right spot to plant them?
Download our step-by-step pdf guides to learn how to create beautiful and low maintenance garden beds which work in all areas of your yard:
Once established, these gardens take little time, effort, and water to maintain.
Steps to success
Following basic YardSmart principles will set you up for gardening success in Calgary.
1. Design your yard
- Find tips on how to plan your YardSmart yard.
- Download the YardSmart Planning and Design guide.
- Learn how to create a beautiful & functional yard in our multi-day online workshop. Courses now online! See Design Your Yard Workshop.

2. Have good soil and lots of it
- Add a base of at least eight inches of good quality soil for a healthy garden or lawn.
- Visit Top Soil Calculator to determine how much soil you need for a project.
- Improve your soil by adding compost. For directions on how to apply compost in your yard, visit Compost.org.

3. Choose plants that thrive in Calgary
- Find perennials, groundcovers and grassesthat thrive in Calgary.
- Find trees and shrubs that are hardy enough for our unique climate.
- Visit our YardSmart Perennials, Native Wildflowers, and Trees and Shrubs plant guides.

4. Add mulch for beauty above and below
- Add bark, wood chips or stones to reduce evaporation from your soil, slow weed growth and decrease erosion.
- To find out how much mulch you need to buy for a flower bed, visit Plan Your YardSmart.
- Get free mulch at the East Calgary Landfill.

5. Water wisely
- Use a rain barrel as a free source of soft, warm water for your yard.
- Visit our Watering 101 - mature landscaping or new landscaping guides for watering tips.
- Save money on your water bills while still having a pristine lawn with these lawn care tips.
