Exploring Common Residential Landscape Types and Their Water Budget in Amman, Jordan

Understanding the components of residential landscapes in Amman can deliver effective information about landscape elements, materials, and water requirements. This research aimed to identify the most common landscape types and materials for residential properties and their landscape water budget in Amman, Jordan. This research surveyed 54 residential properties with a landscape in six neighborhoods in Amman. All landscape elements and materials were measured, identified, and documented on an AutoCAD plan. The whole landscaped area around the home was divided into separate zones based on landscape location and use (front yard, back yard, and side yard). Each zone was treated as an individual landscape. All landscape areas were standardized per zone area. Seven common landscape types were identified, and they represented 87% of all studied landscapes. The common landscape types were hard-surface, hard-surface soil, hard-surface mulch, hard-surface turf, soil, tree hard-surface turf, and turf. The hard-surface landscape was the most common type, forming 42% of Amman’s residential landscape. Common landscape types were grouped into two water budget groups. Turf landscape type had the highest landscape water budget. Plants with a ‘low to moderate’ water use level were the most common in the Amman residential landscape.