Gardeners to be given water rebate

Garden and greenhouse enthusiasts in Solano County, California, can receive cash back for making some changes to their green space.

Those who replace grass with low-water-use plants, artificial turf or permeable hardscape are being offered incentives through the Solano County Water Agency rebate programme.

Aimed at encouraging residents to reconsider their use of water, the scheme offers $0.50/sq ft up to $1,000, according to the Contra Costa Times.

Those planning to take advantage of the scheme will need to have their gardens inspected before and after the changes and can apply through the conservationrebates.com website.

Furthermore, those buying a qualifying high-efficiency washing machine can also claim a rebate of $125 as the county is looking to cut its energy expenditure.

However, there are only a limited number of rebates available for this and residents have been encouraged to get their applications in early as they will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

In other news, the Indiana Daily Student has questioned why Indiana University does not encourage more students to take up growing their own produce.