Waterwise Landscaping

Conservation Coordinator

Many circumstances may affect your landscaping decisions, and since we are now officially in a drought, lack of water and possible water rationing might be one of these circumstances. Cost is also one of the reasons to start considering your landscaping options: 50 percent of household water is used for the yard and garden. David Lightfoot of Irrigation Management says that “Most home irrigation systems use two to three times the water needed - sometimes doubling the house water bill. Even thirsty lawns and tropical plants are often overwatered. In the cooler months with shorter days and lower sun angles and temperatures, our irrigation controllers are still delivering water at the same pace. An understanding of evaporation from plants and the soil leads balanced irrigation systems replacing just the amount of water needed for healthy plants. Mulch and organic amendment help conserve that water.” With water costs predicted to rise 10 to 14 % or more it might be time to start thinking about other landscape options.

I do like a lush green garden but, having a very large garden, I realized soon enough that my water bill was becoming very steep. Then a dog dug up all my plants, a mad gopher seemed to prefer specifically juicy plants roots, and my environmental conscience made me decide to start making my garden a more water efficient one.

A flowering California native shares a rock garden with rosemary and sage, PHOTO BY MADDALENA SERRA

There are many ways to approach a water wise landscape. You can create various areas some with drought tolerant, some with natives, a rock garden with succulents and cactuses in very dry areas mingled with grasses. You can also start growing an edible landscape. Although food crops do need water, they do require a lot less water than turf grass or other thirsty landscape plants, they can be watered with very efficient drip systems that place water on the soil next to the plants only, not promoting evaporation but actually promoting efficient use of water. Besides you are improving your health and reducing your carbon footprint by growing your own organic and delicious food!

Changing your landscape does need a bit of ground work especially if you are planning to do it yourself. Read about drought tolerant plants and landscaping, visit native plants nurseries and then slowly start replacing the water hogs, stressed or dead plants with some natives. It is not necessary to replace all the plants at once or even all the plants. You can start by looking at your garden and noticing the shady areas, the sunny areas and observing the drainage patterns and slope. Not all drought tolerant plants either native or not like sunny spots, but most of them do not like poor draining soils. Pick an area where the needs of the plants that you are going to plant are met. You can intersperse natives with established plants or even fruit trees, but you need to group plant with similar needs to create so called “hydro zones”. Drought tolerant or California native plants do need water until they are established. Some natives tend to go somewhat dormant in summer. Planting natives during the hot season stresses the plants and success is difficult. The fall or early spring is the best time to plant natives because they take advantage of the seasonal rains and cooler climate.

The practice of xeriscaping, (landscaping with drought tolerant plants), varies from area to area even within Los Angeles County. Plants which are appropriate in one area may not be suitable in another. For example not all drought tolerant plants will do well on the coastal areas. There are many planting zones in southern California and the conditions in these zones may vary tremendously due to many microclimates. Water, cold, heat, wind, fog and air pollution can also affect your planting choices. Landscapes need to be planned to be compatible with the characteristics of the location, including water, soil types and sunlight.

While indigenous plants are naturally accustomed to local climates and are therefore good choices for water and waste efficient landscapes, xeriscaping doesn’t mean planting California native plants only. For example, one could draw from many colorful drought tolerant plants native to other Mediterranean climates such as Southern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, South Africa, and Australia. Los Angeles County website has a list of plants that are deemed suitable for Southern California and are non invasive. Sometimes small steps are all you need to make your landscape more water efficient.

Xeriscaping conserves water, povides lots of attractive planting options, has minimal pest and disease problems, attracts birds and wildlife, needs little or no fertilization, requires low pruning and maintenance and saves valuable landfill space. Lightfoot also urges gardeners to consider mulch and organic compost. “We look to our garden plants as the cause of excess water consumption when the problem lies in the way we apply and conserve water. If mulch and organic compost were as available as water, we would have healthy waterwise gardens. Weather-based irrigation controllers, used for years by farmers, keep pace with weather and maintain savings throughout the year. Now, with water issues looming on the horizon, the technology is being applied to home gardens.”