More Homeowners Than Ever Planting Drought Resistant Lawns And Gardens

Xeriscaping, the conservation of water through creative landscaping and reduction of the need for supplemental water from irrigation, has become an increasingly popular trend among Southern California homeowners as the epic drought the state is experiencing enters another Summer. Recent home and garden tours through our local neighborhoods show that many Southern California homes have replaced grass turf with remarkably colorful and lush gardens that are inexpensive to maintain and ecologically sound. Xeriscaping can put a distinctive stamp on your yard and help the environment, but it also improves property value. 

In the 1500's, California (including the area that became Los Angeles) went through an 80 year drought. During the Winters there were blizzards in Central California and the Salinas river froze solid where it flowed into the Monterey Bay. During the summer, Southern California saw no humidity, no rain, 100+ degree temperatures for months on end. Amazingly, the same drought-resistant plants that lived through that are still thriving in Los Angeles today. These include hearty plants such as Hummingbird Sage, Desert Willow, Island Bush Poppy, California Wild Rose, and Desert Marigold. Some, like the California Poppy, Yarrow and Island Bush Snapdragons attract scores of butterflies and hummingbirds. Others, like Beach Sun Cups and the Scarlet Bugler, actually thrive the hotter and sunnier it is. 

This link offers some great suggestions on drought tolerant plants to get started with. The Southern California Metropolitan Water District also offers all sorts of wonderful programs and ideas, and this link will direct you to rebate offers on conservation materials, gardening tips, live and online landscaping tutorials and what the water restrictions might be in your neighborhood. Also, please feel free to share any tips, stories or photos if you or a neighbor are taking advantage of this water-conserving, creative landscaping trend.