Going green can look more like: 50 Shades of Green to Grey!
You’ve probably thought about changing your landscaping in the past, but, like any major change, it can take something to force you to do it. The lack of water here in California is now making more eco-friendly landscaping less of a choice and more of a necessity.
So while there are obviously one thousand and two hundred reasons why drought is a bad thing – and it is bad; according to the Los Angeles Times, California’s drought is the worst in 1,200 years (since 800 AD!) – let’s focus on the positive.
You can actually end up saving a lot of money and time by creating more of a drought tolerant landscape and using drought tolerant plants in your garden.
Whether you want to start with simply replacing some of your water indulgent plants with some drought resistant ones (check out the examples below), or you want to rip up your grass and do a total overhaul, you will not have to:
- Water your grass and thirsty flowers
- Re-plant/re-buy flowers every year
- Mow your grass
- Maintain pesky weeds
Between a lower water bill and a gorgeous, less demanding garden, making some eco-friendly changes sounds like a pretty good option!
LANDSCAPING
Whether you (and your energetic kids or friends) want to tear up the remains of your own grass, or call a team, there are many really appealing options to put in its place. (Check with your county for some “Grass for Cash” type programs to help remove your grass for free.)
Stones in all sizes, from pebbles to boulders and everything in between, are a great replacement for grass. And if you are just in love with the idea of grass, it might be a good time to consider synthetic grass, which never needs to be watered or mowed (and is ideally suited for those weird tiny patches with intermittent sun. You know the ones – they were patched with brown and bald spots already!).
Also, there are tons of groundcovers that are a refreshing change of pace. I’ve grown thyme, it’s easy to grow, needs less water (and no mowing), and lets off a nice smell when you walk on it. Check with your local nursery to see what works best in your particular microclimate. They should be able to recommend something that suits your yard perfectly!
BEST DROUGHT RESISTANT PLANTS (NATIVE TO CALIFORNIA)
A lack of water does not mean a lack of options. In fact, you might find yourself overwhelmed with the plethora of eco-friendly plants, flowers, and trees to use in place of their thirsty cousins that came for a visit from the tropics and overstayed their welcome.
Think succulents, sage, lavender, cacti, wildflowers, and wild grasses.
Here is a great resource for information and pictures on the best plants and flowers to use in our area. And here is a list of over 100 drought tolerant plants native to the Bay Area.
PERFECT DROUGHT RESISTANT PLANTS FOR RETAINING WALLS
If you didn’t read my previous blog post all about retaining walls, you can find it here.
Another example of the cascading effect of grasses–this time Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia) drifting down over a low river rock retaining wall at the edge of a driveway. Deer Grass is very drought tolerant and easy care.
Red Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthus) is in essentially a raised flower bed, consider it an inspiration for the top of your retaining wall. It is a simple planting, colorful for months on end in summer and very drought tolerant. Kangaroo Paw makes a good cut flower for your home and will re-bloom into fall if you cut the stems down to the base.
Rosemary is a beautiful addition to any drought resistant garden, and it looks gorgeous when it spills over the retaining walls. Also, you can go cut a bit to include in your dinner! (I do this all the time.)
While the San Francisco East Bay is comprised on many specific microclimates (depending on which direction you face on a hillside can be enough to completely change the plan!), we are a Mediterranean climate, so feel free to use ideas from gardens in similar climates that struck your fancy – like that last trip to Italy!
Is there such a thing as a “dry” garden, or one that uses virtually no water?
Yes, but it takes a bit of planning…according to Dwell Magazine:
The gardens that achieve this level of sustainability have a few things in common:
- There is no non-native grass
- All foliage used is native or climate compatible (from the Mediterranean basin, Australia, Chile, or South Africa)
- Deep, deep mulch is frequently replenished
- Hardscapes are permeable, allowing rainfall to seep into the ground, and they are of materials that do not unnecessarily amplify heat
- Trees are planted strategically to mitigate heat
- There is some sort of rain catchment, whether it be as simple as a rain barrel or as technical as a cistern fed by an infiltration pit or bioswale