Drought-gardening resources

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California: For the last four years it has developed programs with information about landscaping, irrigation upgrades, resource guides, grants and retailers of California-friendly plants. To learn how to adjust your sprinklers for your microclimate, soil type and planting scheme, go to the online calculator www.bewaterwise.com/calculator.html. For general information, www.bewaterwise.com.

City of Los Angeles: https://www.lacity.org/san/irp/WaterConservation.htm

City of Santa Monica: It maintains two educational demonstration gardens, one conventional, the other equipped with rainwater trapping systems and planted with native (“heritage”) plants. For information about education programs and grant opportunities related to sustainable gardening, www.santa-monica.org/epd.

Los Angeles County: Smart Gardening program, (888) 253-2652 or ladpw.org/epd/sg.

Municipal Water District of Orange County, www.mwdoc.com/SmarTimer/index.html or call (866) 846-3725.

Inland Empire Utilities Agency, https://www.ieua.org/water_smart.html

Irvine Ranch Water District, https://www.irwd.com.

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden: It runs classes on horticulture and garden design. For information, (626)-821-3222 or www.arboretum.org.

Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers & Native Plants: It runs regular workshops for gardeners converting to drought-tolerant natives. For information, (818) 768-1802 or www.theodorepayne.org.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden: This Claremont garden has a native plant hotline to help gardeners create water-wise landscapes: (909) 624-0838.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Its GreenScapes outreach program provides information for homeowners. For details, www.epa.gov/greenscapes.

Fruit trees: UC Davis has information for backyard growers at fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu.