Spotlight on Lake Saving Yards
An on-going showcase of exemplary yards that were designed
by the homeowners with lake protection in mind.
By Erin Johnson
This issue features the work of Carla and Andrew Coupe, one of
the first Waterside Buffer Rebate participants. The Waterside Buffer
Rebate program, introduced in fall of 2016, allows homeowners to
apply for and be financially rewarded for following lake-friendly
best practices in landscaping and maintaining their yards. A full
description of the best practices and program requirements can be
found at https://www.lakelinganore.org/waterside-buffer-program/
The Coupes built their home on a 20+ degree steep lot in Balmoral.
The good news was that they were starting with a blank canvas and
could follow best practices from the beginning. The bad news was
that they were starting with nothing but construction dirt. Working
with a designer trained in landscaping practices to reduce stormwater
pollution, they broke the yard into sections. Front and back, they used
practical solutions to reduce runoff during big storms. The results are
beautiful!
Rustic stone steps lead down to the lake allowing run-off to soak
in. Accidentally, native clover took over as a ground cover and
looks great. Plus the bunny rabbits appreciate it.
By building several terraced beds with the last ending at the fence line, they could fill them
with good soil and plant natives that thrived in the first season.
Carla says, “We started with a yard that looked like a bomb crater, but
thanks to the Friends of the Lake and other stormwater management
resources, we were able to create a garden that is both easy to care for
and meets our goal of preventing stormwater runoff from reaching
the lake. We love it!”
October 1 begins the next sign up period for the Waterside Buffer
program. You can also do it on your own even if you can’t comply
with the program timetable. LLA is also building lake buffers as
demonstration gardens for homeowners. We will feature them in
future issues.
For more information, please go to the website where there are many
tools and resources to help you have a Lake-Saving yard!
22 LakeTalk October 2017
Below the fence begins LLA land. They leave the grass 4” between the
fence and the lake-side bed. At lake’s edge, they built up a long, bermed
bed of old logs, buried and held in with posts. They added new soil and
planted native grasses, bushes and flowers that deer do not favor. Native
plants are heartier and easier to care for. Carla reports that the bed held
up well in recent torrential rains.