Attractive landscaping, which saves water to be on display

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 19, 2010 at 5:23 am

From the Riverside Press-Enterprise:

“For the 10th year, Buck and Yvonne Hemenway will open their now-extreme drought-tolerant gardens in Indian Hills free to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 27 and 28.

The couple hopes to encourage others to convert their lawns and gardens and educate them how to do it.

“This is why we do the open house every year, to educate the public,” said Buck Hemenway.

The couple, both born in the rainy, emerald-colored Pacific Northwest, became enchanted with the forms of succulents and cactus and turned their hobby into a business raising and selling cactus and succulents through their Prickly Palace to nurseries. They have also traveled across the world in search of new and different plants. … “

Continue reading this article from the Riverside Press-Enterprise by clicking here.

March 19, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Column: A growing admiration for California’s drought-resistant native plants

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 11, 2010 at 5:25 am

From the Daily Breeze:

“Like so many transplants, I arrived here packing bad habits. Used to places where rainfall exceeds 20 inches a year, places where a month without rain brings out the cloud-seeders, places where a sprinkler system was something oscillating at the end of a garden hose, it seemed reasonable enough to waste vast amounts of water coaxing English tea roses and St. Augustine grass out of soil that was trying to tell its own story.

I was here a year before I realized where that water came from and at what cost to the lakes, rivers and delta from which it was drawn.

What’s more, that water came with a back story, with the nefarious land deals committed by the Chandlers and other city fathers, men who promised water to a thirsty Los Angeles but channeled it instead to the San Fernando Valley, then a place of fruit crops and ranches. Most of which they bought up at bargain prices before attaching it to a taxpayer-financed aqueduct and the city they controlled. All that high-level larceny spawned a fantastic movie, “Chinatown,” written by a San Pedro native and directed by a Polish child molester who was allowed to complete this instant classic after his arrest. Seriously, how could I not fall in love with the place?

What took me awhile was coming to grips with the nature and needs of a land long covered over with imported plants. … “

March 11, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Orange may drop lawsuit against couple that pulled out front lawn

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 3, 2010 at 6:17 am

From the Los Angeles Times L.A. Now blog:

“The city of Orange may drop its lawsuit against a husband and wife cited for not having enough plants in their frontyard, officials said.

The case against Quan and Angelina Ha could be dropped without fine or penalty, officials said Tuesday hours after the pair was arraigned on charges of violating city ordinances when they removed their lawn to try to save water.

Officials determined the yard met city standards after re-examining the property about noon Tuesday, said Paul Sitkoff, a spokesman for Orange. A city ordinance requires that 40% of a front lawn be landscaped with live plants. … “

March 3, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Orange officials sue couple who removed their lawn

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 2, 2010 at 6:38 am

From the Los Angeles Times:

“Some Southern California cities fine residents for watering their lawns too much during droughts. But in Orange, officials are locked in a legal battle with a couple accused of violating city ordinances for removing their lawn in an attempt to save water.

The dispute began two years ago, when Quan and Angelina Ha tore out the grass in their frontyard. In drought-plagued Southern California, the couple said, the lush grass had been soaking up tens of thousands of gallons of water — and hundreds of dollars — each year.

They said they were trying to do something good for the environment. “We’ve got a newborn, so we want to start worrying about her future,” said Quan Ha, an information technology manager for Kelley Blue Book.

But city officials told the Has they were violating several city laws that require residents to cover significant portions of their frontyards with live ground cover. On Tuesday, the couple is scheduled to appear in Orange County Superior Court to challenge the city’s lawsuit against them. … “

March 2, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Southern California

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Peter Gleick on grass: “Maybe it’s time to put the residential turf lawn in the same category as smoking on a plane: socially irresponsible, undesirable, and ultimately, eliminated.”

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 21, 2010 at 7:17 am

From Peter Gleick at the City Brights blog:

“I am participating this week in the 15th Annual Water Conservation and Xeriscape Conference and Expo, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and I’ve been thinking about grass. Those of us who work on water issues in the western US and elsewhere know that a part of our water quantity and quality problems is the consequence of the vast amounts of water consumed by ornamental grass, or turf, or lawns. When early immigrants to this country came over from Europe, they brought with them their ideas of landscaping, mimicking the grand English gardens with sweeping expanses of green, manicured lawn. And when those early Americans moved west, that idea came with them again, into a climate that was completely unsuited for grass and a landscape that couldn’t afford the water.

Water Number: 3 to 5 acre-feet per acre. This is how much water, in hot, dry western climates, that turf grass can suck out of our rivers, streams, and groundwater aquifers to evaporate into the air. As Amy Vickers, a leading water conservation expert and anti-lawn crusader has put it, “America’s biggest drinking problem isn’t alcohol: It’s lawn watering.”

Today, more than half of all urban water use in most western states goes to landscaping, and most of that goes to trying to maintain green turf. In places like Las Vegas, as much as 70% of all residential water use goes to outdoor landscaping. … “

Continue reading this post at the City Brights blog by clicking here.

February 21, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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HOAs, homeowners in turf battle; Assembly bill would allow artificial grass

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 16, 2010 at 6:33 am

From the San Diego Union Tribune:

“SACRAMENTO — Rocky Wilson figures that just by landscaping his small front yard with artificial turf, he could save enough water annually to take a five-minute shower daily for about six years.

If only his homeowners association would let him. Wilson has been working with the governing board of La Costa Greens, a master-planned community of single-family residences in Carlsbad, for nearly two years to secure permission amid steep water shortages and rationing across California.

“Why waste water?” he asked. “I was born and raised here. There’s always been drought.”

Wilson’s case isn’t isolated, according to state water officials and water districts in San Diego County. … “

February 16, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Garden designer John Greenlee’s love affair with grasses

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 31, 2010 at 8:19 am

From the San Diego Union Tribune:

“Plantsman, nursery owner and garden designer John Greenlee first fell in love with meadows as a youngster playing in a field of ear-tickling grass near his Orange County home.

Decades later, the allure of this iconic landscape remains irresistible, “like a seductive mistress,” he writes in his new Timber Press book, “The American Meadow Garden.” “Grasses are sensual. You can smell them and hear them and watch them move. Meadows are sexy, just like lovers — they never stop changing, never ceasing to surprise.”

Starting in the 1980s, Greenlee has spurred a horticultural revolution that has put a growing array of ornamental grasses into nurseries and gardens everywhere. Now he wants homeowners married to “time-consuming, synthetic chemical-sucking” lawns to abandon turf in favor of shimmering meadows alive with grasses and flowers, birds and butterflies. … “

January 31, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Native landscaping saves money and water

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 20, 2010 at 4:12 pm

From Barry Nelson at the NRDC Switchboard blog:

“Most Southern Californians know that gardening with native plants saves water. But here is something that might come as a surprise: it also saves money.

Journalist Emily Green shows the breadth of these savings on her blog, Chance of Rain. She explains that the City of Santa Monica did a demonstration project in which gardeners planted one yard with conventional landscaping and one with native vegetation (you can see side-by-side photos here).

The results are stunning. At first, the native garden costs $4,300 more to install. But over 10 years, it saves an astonishing $22,000 in maintenance fees compared to the conventional yard. Meanwhile, the native garden uses roughly one fifth as much water as the traditional one. A table from the City of Santa Monica’s brochure lays it out nicely. … “

Continue reading Barry Nelson’s post at the NRDC Switchboard blog by clicking here.

January 20, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Urban ‘green’ spaces may contribute to global warming

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 20, 2010 at 8:00 am

From the American Geophysical Union, this press release (hat tip to Chance of Rain):

“Dispelling the notion that urban “green” spaces help counteract greenhouse gas emissions, new research has found — in Southern California at least — that mowing and other lawn maintenance emit much larger amounts of greenhouse gases than the well-tended grass sequesters.

Turfgrass lawns remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it as organic carbon in soil, making them important “carbon sinks.” However, greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer production, mowing, leaf blowing and other lawn management practices are four times greater than the amount of carbon stored by ornamental grass in parks, a new study shows. These emissions include nitrous oxide released from soil after fertilization. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that’s 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, the Earth’s most problematic climate warmer.

Previous studies have documented lawns storing carbon, but this research was the first to compare carbon sequestration to nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions from lawn grooming practices.

“Lawns look great — they’re nice and green and healthy, and they’re photosynthesizing a lot of organic carbon. But the carbon-storing benefits of lawns are counteracted by fuel consumption,” says Amy Townsend-Small, Earth system science postdoctoral researcher at University of California, Irvine. Townsend-Small is the lead author of the study, which has been accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). … “

January 20, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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High Country Gardens’ 2010 crop of water-wise plants

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 12, 2010 at 3:34 pm

From the Los Angeles Times:

High Country Gardens, based in Santa Fe, N.M., has a reputation for introducing enticing new water-wise perennial plants to American gardeners every year. Its main catalog features 300 plants that have been grown and evaluated in its nursery trial gardens.

President David Salman says High Country ships plants to customers in all 50 states; California is second only to Colorado for customer volume. While Santa Fe’s winters are decidedly colder than Southern California’s, its limited precipitation and hot summers are pretty similar to our gardening conditions. “My focus has always been on plants for the western garden,” he says. “Our approach is not only to conserve water, but to make the landscape more resource efficient.”

Salman is not a huge fan of the word “xeric,” which is the accepted term for low-water landscapes. “Some people call it ‘zero-scaping’ and equate it with one-inch of gravel with a yucca sticking out of it,” he says. “We like to focus on a green style of xeriscaping. That means creating habitat where possible, using organic methods and promoting healthy-living soil through the use of compost and natural soil amendments.” … “

Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here. Check out High Country Gardens website by clicking here.

January 12, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Water conservation ordinances could limit suburban lawns

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 11, 2010 at 3:45 pm

From the New York Times:

“John Boyle, a 51-year-old venture capitalist in Menlo Park, built a new home on his property more than a decade ago largely to create a big lawn where his children could play football or baseball.

So Mr. Boyle, who is also a city councilman, is particularly sensitive to the idea that a proposed municipal ordinance to cut landscaping watering would prohibit other people from doing the same. He says he applauds conservation but is against the government dictating how to do it.

“I think it is important, where possible, for people to design their yards the way they want,” he said in an interview last week.

The all-American suburban lawn, the backdrop for everything from the illustrations in old Dick & Jane readers to House Beautiful, long ago began to fade in the drought-prone suburbs around San Francisco Bay. … “

January 11, 2010 · Filed Under Conservation, Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Eyeing the fruit tree, irrigated front lawn

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 9, 2010 at 8:17 am

From the Los Angeles Daily News:

“Amid thoughts concerning alternatives to the front lawn, I recently came across “Self-Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson’s classic essay, composed in 1841. “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,” he wrote. “Whoso would be a man must be a non-conformist,” and, finally, “Insist upon yourself; never imitate.”

Emerson’s non-conformist, if not rebellious, tendencies are distinctively American, and are more and more in evidence as you drive the streets of Los Angeles. Slowly but surely, front lawns are shrinking and, in some cases, disappearing altogether. Will lawns some day be as exotic as typewriters, cloth diapers and rotary phones?

Of course, there are legal and economic aspects to having a lawn, and/or conventional sprinklers, which make rebellion easier.

No one wants to be told when or how much to water what grows in front of the house. However, as long as you have a lawn or even a lawn-less yard, but with conventional sprinklers, you will be under the watchful eye of the local water police. And, even if you obey all the water laws, if you use more than your allotted quantity of water, you will pay a huge premium for it to LADWP. … “

January 9, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Utilities commission skeptical about water plan; Landscaping ordinance would limit turf areas, require more native plants

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 8, 2010 at 7:23 am

From Palo Alto Online:

“A proposal by Palo Alto’s Utilities Department to save water by shrinking the size of people’s lawns was greeted with skepticism from the city’s Utilities Advisory Commission Wednesday night.

The ordinance, drafted by the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA), would apply to landscaping projects in which the overall irrigated area is 1,000 square feet or larger. Single-family homes and non-residential projects would be included.

The ordinance would limit the turf area allowed to 25 percent of the irrigated landscape. It would also require at least 80 percent of the plants in non-turf landscape to be native plants or plants that use little or no water. In both cases, an applicant could alternately develop and commit to a water budget.

All landscapes greater than 5,000 square feet would require irrigation meters. … “

January 8, 2010 · Filed Under Conservation, Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Menlo Park proposal would restrict lawn size

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 7, 2010 at 7:34 am

From the Mountain View Voice (thanks, Danny, for sending me the link!):

“If a showdown were brewing in Menlo Park between environmental activists and defenders of private property rights, what would be a more appropriate setting for the drama to play out on than a lawn?

No fisticuffs have broken out thus far, with the debate playing out only in the demure confines of the City Council chambers.

But deliberations over a revised water-efficient landscaping ordinance are sure to bounce between those two ideological poles, as the city weighs restricting the size of homeowners’ lawns, and when they can water them.

The proposal currently on the table would prevent people from running their sprinklers during the day. It would also limit lawn size to 500 square feet, or 25 percent of the total landscaped area for properties with over 2,000 square feet of landscaping. … “

January 7, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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The Dry Garden: Instead of New Zealand flax, try the giant wild rye called Canyon Prince

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 2, 2010 at 7:47 am

From Emily Green at the Los Angeles Times:

“Of all the creatures that disperse plants in nature, we humans may be the quirkiest. Take how we distribute New Zealand flax. We fight back its blades along what seems like every other front walk.

This column is to commend an indigenous alternative to New Zealand flax for the gardens of greater Los Angeles: a type of giant wild rye called Canyon Prince. Ninety-nine percent of the time that flax is used in California, this cultivar of Leymus condensatus could perform the same function, but better.

The first reason is size. As beautiful as New Zealand flax is, it needs space. You could hide a rugby scrum behind many full-grown specimens. By contrast, the “giant” in “giant wild rye” is a relative term. This beautiful cultivar introduced by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is giant only among grasses. It may reach 3 feet tall. … “

January 2, 2010 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Developments facing new laws for landscaping in 2010

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 1, 2010 at 9:03 am

From KPBS:

“A little noticed change in the law will affect landscaping in new housing developments in the coming year.

California legislators passed a law in 2006 that requires cities and counties to develop ordinances to save water use in new landscapes by 30 percent. The law goes into effect tomorrow.

Toby Roy of San Diego County Water Authority says the state only came up with a model ordinance last October. She says San Diego county agencies have worked with cities and the building industry to develop a model ordinance for this region.

“As new development goes in, it will be designed to the new standards,” Roy said. “Residents installing landscapes for new homes will come in to the counter and get information on how to design a landscape but they wont have to go through a permit process.” … “

New law frees Californians to garden to conserve water

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 25, 2009 at 9:11 am

From KUOR, Southern California Public Radio:

“If a “xeriscape” garden is your dream, next year could be your year to plant it. A new law will make it easier for some homeowners to install drought-tolerant landscaping.

A third of California homeowners live in what are called “common interest developments.” They’re condominiums, apartments and timeshares governed by homeowners associations. … “

New water rules weighed: Developers in the Temecula area would be required to use water-saving technology

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 10, 2009 at 6:38 am

From Riverside’s Press-Enterprise:

“A Temecula-area water district may charge developers a fee and require low-flow toilets and similar features so future growth doesn’t tax already strained water supplies.

The Rancho California Water District board of directors will decide today whether to hold a Feb. 11 public hearing on a proposed New Water Demand Offset Program.

The seven-member board would vote on the program following that hearing. The program would take effect immediately after.

Today’s meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. at the district headquarters, 42135 Winchester Road in Temecula. The district serves more than 120,000 people in Temecula, part of Murrieta and nearby unincorporated areas. … “

December 10, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Southern California

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No such thing as a green lawn: Maintaining the American lawn wastes energy, water and money

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 8, 2009 at 7:55 am

From the O. C. Voice:

“Which consumes more fossil fuels: lawn maintenance with gas-powered tools or lawn watering? For residents of Southern California, the correct answer is watering because of the energy it takes to transport water to the region.

Southern California (SoCal) is a semi-arid desert. Rainfall averages only 15 inches per year, for example, in the Los Angeles area. Local water sources have fallen far short of meeting the region’s water needs for more than a century.

With two-thirds of the state’s rainfall in Northern California and two-thirds of the water demand in SoCal, the state deals with this imbalance by pumping in half of SoCal’s water supply from sources hundreds of miles away, the Colorado River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. … “

December 8, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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‘Sustainable Landscaping for Dummies’ author lays out 9 steps for a greener future

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 6, 2009 at 8:04 am

From Emily Green at the Los Angeles Times:

“The idea that suburban gardens might be “sustainable” came late to Southern California. Modern Los Angeles was sold on the promise that anything grows. Exotic plants were status symbols. Sunshine was constant, and the only worry about water was finding plants best suited to go next to the swimming pool. More than a century later, the fantasy style is out. Sustainable is in. There’s only one problem.

What does sustainable mean?

Landscape architect Owen Dell has cut through the eco-babble to offer not just a definition, but also a how-to book. The Santa Barbara-based author of “Sustainable Landscaping for Dummies,” published by Wiley this year, begins by defining sustainability. … “

December 6, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Paso adopts stringent water rules for developers

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 6, 2009 at 7:44 am

From the San Luis Obispo Tribune:

“Paso Robles developers have to cut back on the size of lawns and how they water them to comply with a new state law taking effect in January.

The rules won’t affect owners of existing properties because the city can’t retroactively require them, officials said.

The new regulations are expected to reduce Paso Robles’ outdoor water consumption by at least 19 percent when compared to projects without these restrictions, according to city documents.

“The goal is to make sure the landscaping that is initially installed is water-conserving right out of the chute,” Community Development Director Ron Whisenand said. … “

December 6, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Water regulations are planned for Costa Mesa

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 3, 2009 at 7:48 am

From the Daily Pilot:

“Costa Mesa city staff is working on an ordinance that will require multi-family residences and businesses to conserve water.

The ordinance will require new landscaping installations or rehabilitation projects of 2,500 square feet or greater to be water wise, which includes picking drought-tolerant plants and installing irrigation systems that use less water, said Minoo Ashabi, Costa Mesa senior planner.

Assembly Bill 1881 was adopted by the state in 2006 to encourage water conservation, and now all California cities must abide the new requirement beginning Jan. 1.

“This is intended to encourage drought-tolerant plants in the most conservative way for water conservation,” she said. … “

December 3, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Cities adopting state-mandated water ordinances

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 27, 2009 at 7:36 am

From the Pasadena Star News:

“Like it or not, mandatory restrictions are coming by the first of the year for homeowners and developers with large pieces of property to water.

Under the state’s Water Conservation in Landscaping Act of 2006, by Jan. 1 cities must adopt local ordinances that restrict water usage for developers – and also for public agencies – who construct new projects that include 2,500 feet or more of landscaping.

The restrictions will also apply to homeowners with landscape projects of 5,000 feet or more.

If cities don’t implement local laws by the deadline, a provision written into the act ordering the restrictions will simply take over.

Water-saving ordinances will likely vary – at least slightly – from city to city. But in general, affected developers and homeowners will have to apply for permits and submit their landscaping plans to cities for review. … “

November 27, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Desert should lead the way in water efficiency

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 27, 2009 at 7:33 am

From MyDesert.com:

“Water conservation is nothing new to the Coachella Valley.

But as California enters its fourth year of drought, the state is pushing cities to save every drop. Assembly Bill 1881, California’s Updated Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, requires cities to submit water conservation plans by Jan. 1.

The Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG), our regional planning organization, recently held a workshop to promote a valleywide water efficiency ordinance. We all know the drill by now: Indoors, turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth, keep showers short and use a low-flush toilet. But 70 percent of water used by most homeowners is for landscaping. The real savings can be found outdoors.

Fix broken sprinklers as quickly as possible. Don’t let them spray into the sidewalk or street. Consider replacing the lawn with desert landscaping.

That last one must be appealing to those responsible for mowing and maintenance of the grass. It’s a chore that never ends, unless you turn off the sprinklers. … “

November 27, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Landscape manager is putting the squeeze on water

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 22, 2009 at 6:22 am

From the San Diego Union Tribune:

“From an office in San Marcos, Bemus Landscape Inc. is working with San Diego County homeowners associations and commercial clients to create landscape solutions in a water-challenged region.

The company manages some 30 to 40 local commercial properties and homeowners associations, including Sunroad Centrum, Village Square in San Elijo Hills and The Farms in Rancho Santa Fe.

“When we start a new project, we do a very intense survey on the irrigation systems,” said Jon Piggins, a business development manager based in San Diego. “We want our clients to be aware of what they can do to be saving water.”

Bemus Landscape has its corporate headquarters in Orange County, and offices in San Diego and the Inland Empire. It employs about 200 people. … “

November 22, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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The Dry Garden: Some sage advice for planting the right salvia in the right spot

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 21, 2009 at 8:12 am

From Emily Green at the Los Angeles Times:

“Many gardens go without sage in California but at the cost of soul. Sage is to the West what lavender is to France. Sage, or in botanical terms salvia, has it all: Its pungent aromas contain the signature scent of the Western chaparral. SageSonomaThe silvers, grays and greens of its foliage anchor the local Craftsman color wheel, and the long-running show of flowers come in a spectrum of white to pink to mauve to scarlet to purple to indigo to sky blue. Many sages have long had medicinal and culinary applications, but for modern Californians it’s a balm to the eyes. A felt-like quality to the foliage, combined with a loose-branching habit, allows sage to diffuse the harshest midday sunshine rather than reflect it.

Sages do not need fertilizer, and in fact they shrivel at the suggestion. Few other plants attract more pollinators to the garden. But one attribute above all of these should make sage not just an emblem of our past, but also a powerhouse plant of our future: Western and Mediterranean sages need little water. … “

Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

November 21, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Now’s a great time to go native in your garden

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 21, 2009 at 8:09 am

From the Valley Chronicle:

“People often think about redoing their landscaping in the springtime, after the winter rains have passed and the weather starts to warm up again.

But if you’re thinking about replacing some of your water-intensive landscaping with native or California-friendly trees, shrubs, and groundcovers that require less water, the best time to replace them is now, before the winter rains begin.

“Now is an excellent time to plant,” said Joe Cagliero of Cagliero Ranch Nursery in Hemet.

Native and California-friendly plants need a lot of time to establish their root systems, he said. And when they are planted in the fall, they tend to be better prepared for the hot summer months because they’ve had an entire winter to establish their root systems with the help of winter rains.

“A lot of drought-tolerant plants are sensitive to supplemental watering, which can lead to root rot. But if you can plant them right before it starts raining, that helps get them established really well so they can get by with less summer watering.” … “

Read more from the Valley Chronicle by clicking here.

November 21, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Paso Robles draft water efficient landscape ordinance moves forward

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 17, 2009 at 7:53 am

From the Paso Robles Press:

“Backyard turf restrictions and whether or not the city should include backyards in its new Draft Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance sparked disagreement among members of the Paso Robles Planning Commission, who reccommended the City Council approve the ordinance in its current form last week.

On a 4-3 vote with commissioners Al Garcia, Steve Gregory and Joel Peterson dissenting, the commission voted to take the necessary steps to adopt the ordinance, which was developed in light of restrictions that would otherwise soon be required by the state.

According to city officials, the city’s ordinance would be as effective as achieving water conservation as the state’s model and be less onerous on property owners and developers along with costing less to implement. Currently, the state is requiring all cities statewide to reduce the amount of water used to irrigate landscaping. The state’s restrictions would become effective beginning in 2010 if the city chose to not adopt its own ordinance, according to city officials. … “

Read more from the Paso Robles Press by clicking here.

November 17, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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San Marcos working on drought-tolerant landscape ordinance; State-required change would mandate water-wise plants

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 15, 2009 at 7:35 am

From the North County Times:

“Installing or replacing landscaping is about to get more complicated and potentially more expensive for some property owners in San Marcos.

The city is developing an ordinance that would require the landscaping around new homes, apartment complexes and other developments to be drought-tolerant —- if a developer is installing the landscaping, if the landscape area covers at least 2,500 square feet and if the project needs city approval.

The proposal would also apply to new homes whose owners are putting in the landscaping, if the area is 5,000 square feet or larger.

Deputy City Manager Lydia Romero said last week that the city must adopt the proposed ordinance to meed the deadline for a 3-year-old state law requiring cities and counties throughout California to adopt stricter water efficiency standards by Jan. 1.

Romero said state officials did not decide what the new standards should be until September. …”

Read more from the North County Times by clicking here.

November 15, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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The Dry Garden: Diverting winter rains from the streets to our flower beds

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 13, 2009 at 8:29 am

From Emily Green at the Los Angeles Times:

“It stands to reason that some of the most progressive environmentalists in Los Angeles work for the Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Sanitation. They are the front line between what we discard and the environment.

Last week we looked at their fight to triage our system for recycling food scraps. This week the subject is their battle to capture rainfall before it enters L.A.’s massive storm drain system.

The bureau, along with a leading Southland water agency, the state Legislature and environmental nonprofit groups such as TreePeople and the Green LA Coalition are all moving to make harvesting rainwater as routine as recycling.

Rain shouldn’t be a pollutant, but as the Los Angeles Basin was steadily developed during the last century, the fields and meadows where the water used to infiltrate into the aquifer was steadily paved. …”

Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

November 13, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Sick of thirsty, high-maintenance grass? Create your own ‘meadow’

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 13, 2009 at 8:24 am

Here’s another idea from The Ledger:

“Susan Silva’s grass never looked right, no matter how hard she tried. Her problem was a common one: Her Orangevale, Calif., backyard sat in half shade, half sun, dominated by large trees. Then Silva got a puppy – and with him, more complications. Rex, her energetic German shepherd, attacked the lawn as if searching for buried treasure or a stash of old bones.

“I finally decided, ‘Enough!’” she recalls of the lawn’s last days. “I got so sick of managing it. It was a mess. So I just got rid of it.”

In its place, Silva created her own “meadow,” a plant-filled space that she and her dog could share without conflict or angst.

Her magical meadow has become a magnet for relaxation, a private place to kick back with friends and enjoy the outdoors.

“This is my sanctuary,” Silva says. “It’s so tranquil.” …”

Read more from the Ledger by clicking here.

November 13, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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New rules for Riverside County aim to cut water use to drip

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 10, 2009 at 7:52 am

From the Riverside Press-Enterprise:

“A stricter landscape ordinance for Riverside County and a half-million dollar demonstration garden at Cal State San Bernardino are the latest efforts to encourage water savings as the state enters a fourth year of drought and contends with restrictions on exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

“The real question is, are we going to be able to reduce water use quickly enough to keep pace with the reduction in the water we have available?” said Damian Meins, assistant planning director for Riverside County.

The ordinance beefs up a 2006 mandate written by the Riverside County Water Task Force that applied only to new developments such as housing tracts and shopping centers. The latest version extends water-use restrictions to existing homes and businesses that pull county permits for construction projects and plan to change more than 2,500 square feet of landscaping, Meins said. …”

Read more from the Press-Enterprise by clicking here.

October 10, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Quest for water savings absorbs irrigation companies: Hunter Irrigation lab measures water distribution

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 9, 2009 at 5:36 pm

From the North County Times:

“Some very brainy people in San Marcos spend their working days trying to figure out how to throw water.

In small drops. Accurately.

For irrigation companies, water waste is almost too much to bear.

“It pains me to see so much runoff,” said John Wascher, product manager for San Marcos-based Hunter Irrigation’s pop-up and spray nozzle products.

Irrigation technology has accelerated in recent years, Hunter and other companies say, pushed by growing water restrictions. And there’s the financial incentive —– with development nearly comatose, selling improved systems allows the companies to make up for what otherwise would be a precipitous drop in sales. …”

Read more from the North County Times by clicking here.

October 9, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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New state water-use rules will change landscape design

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 5, 2009 at 6:40 am

From the Chico Enterprise-Record:

“Cities and counties will be taking on new rules for landscape irrigation as of Jan. 1, requiring many new construction and rehabilitation projects to plan their use of water.

Local governments can either adopt rules outlined by the state, or come up with their own programs.

Denice Britton, Chico urban forest manager, said the city is still looking over the plan requirements, which won’t impact existing landscapes unless major new work is done.

The rules, spelled out by the Department of Water Resources, are being adopted throughout the state and “will assist local agencies in meeting their goals of stretching water supplies, reducing runoff and reducing the amount of green waste generated by landscape projects,” a press release from DWR stated.

The program stems from the 2006 passage of Assembly Bill 1881.

The rules would apply to new construction and rehabilitation of developer-installed irrigated land of greater than 2,500 square feet. That is an area of land 50-by-50 feet, or a sixteenth of an acre. …”

Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record by clicking here.

October 5, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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Backyard growers still hungry for edibles and drought-tolerant plants

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 26, 2009 at 6:43 am

From the Los Angeles Times:

“The recent recession-fueled explosion of backyard vegetable gardens caught the nursery industry somewhat by surprise. Everyone, it seems, wants to grow tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants, even those folks who have never before picked up a shovel.

Starting this fall, however, nurseries and garden centers will be filling aisles with more than plants that feed us. Growers and store buyers say consumers can expect to see more lovely textures coming to market and, best of all, more plants that require less water. A sampling of trends shaping the marketplace in the months to come:

More edibles

This trend isn’t ebbing. Look for fruiting trees and shrubs that do double duty, producing food and making the garden beautiful.

“The hottest plants are blueberries,” says Nicholas Staddon, director of new plants for Monrovia Growers. Though Monrovia grew its largest crop of these nearly evergreen shrubs for the 2009-10 season, Staddon says, “If we’d had thousands more plants, we could have sold them too.” …”

Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

September 26, 2009 · Filed Under Drought Tolerant Landscaping

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