Gardening Dry : Many Homeowners Go With Less Flow
Their new house in Rancho Bernardo is everything Brenda and Ken Wolfe hoped for, but the back yard, still unfinished, is basically dirt. However, this is one piece of ground that won’t be covered with grass.
Recently they met with landscape design consultant Scott Branon. The Wolfes told him they want a spa, a patio area and a place for their two daughters to play. Although they don’t want grass, they do want plants that are gorgeous and green and lush but don’t use a lot of water.
It’s the sort of request that landscape designers and nursery workers are hearing more often these days.
In North County, many are turning away from water-wasting lawns and gardens to xeriscaping--landscaping for drought conditions. For some, the term creates a picture of dusty tumbleweeds and chaparral. But xeriscaping can be colorful and aesthetically pleasing, as well as economical and environmentally correct.
Jan Tubiolo of the County Water Authority estimates that xeriscape can save an average of 30% to 50% of the water required by a landscape. “It’s appropriate landscaping,” she said. “It’s a throwback to early California days, when the only water available was what was here.”
At the Wolfes’ first house, Ken tried to grow a grassy lawn like the one he remembered at his parents’ house back East. He battled bugs and fungus. He aerated and fertilized. He watered it faithfully. Still, it would not grow. Sometimes at night, said Brenda, she would find Ken standing at the window, looking out at the lawn.
“Finally I decided, I live in a desert, why not admit it?” said Ken.
A lawn of green grass--invented in Victorian England as a way of providing neighbors and passers-by with unobstructed views of a regal house--is simply not at home in Southern California.
Native plants, which are naturally best for this climate, come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are useful for a variety of purposes.
For instance, the fast-growing matilija poppy--which looks like a fried egg sunny-side up--attracts hummingbirds. Wayward dogs can be discouraged by various low-lying sagebrushes.
Most native California plants require little maintenance. They don’t need fertilizer and need watering only about once a month. They are tough and they do well in dry weather, but few native California plants are spectacular, said Monica Parker, in charge of propagation at Weber Nursery in Encinitas, which specializes in native plants.
Many of the more colorful drought-tolerant plants that do well here are actually transplants from other parts of the world. Plants from the Mediterranean, Australia, South Africa and parts of Chile do especially well in arid San Diego County.
“There are really a lot of nice plants that are very attractive, and use maybe one-third the water of other plants,” said Chuck Kline, a horticulturist who teaches a xeriscaping class through UCSD Extension. Kline used to be in charge of landscaping at Sea World.
Choosing the right plants is important, but to create a thriving xeriscape garden or yard, the experts say you should also plan to use water sparingly, add the right soil amendments and pay attention to overall design.
Landscape designer Linda Chisari of Del Mar, who won a first place in the first Water(less!) Garden Awards, sponsored by the San Diego County Water Authority and San Diego Home and Garden Magazine, says it’s important to know what’s available.
“People really need to see the plants,” she said. “They imagine cactus and succulents and gravel, and it’s just not so.”
A good place to view drought-tolerant plants is Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas. Quail has a native plant trail featuring 35 California specimens, in addition to its vast collection of plant species from around the world. The Wild Animal Park in Escondido is also a good place to see drought-tolerant plants, said Chisari.
Many nurseries carry drought-tolerant plants, but most of the plants are tagged, rather than arranged in a coordinated xeriscape design.
Whatever plants are chosen, a careful design should be plotted out--whether it’s done by a professional or do-it-yourselfer.
The Wolfes chose to have a professional designer plan their landscape. Branon, of Unlimited Landscapes of Poway, will present them with two draft drawings of their Rancho Bernardo yard. The drawings will illustrate different plant schemes and options at different ends of the budget discussed. When a design decision is reached, Branon will take soil samples and obtain all the necessary permits for the project.
For do-it-yourselfers, the County Water Authority provides an information packet that includes reprints of articles on xeriscaping from Sunset magazine. Xeriscaping advice also is usually available at the nursery where plants are purchased.
“We advise them the best we can on what plants will grow where in their yard,” said Parker of Weber Nursery. “Some plants prefer a south-facing bank, and certain plants do well at the bottom of a canyon, where it’s colder than it is on the top.”
In his fall UCSD Extension class, “Selecting Drought-Tolerant Plants for Your Garden,” Kline shows slides of attractive drought-tolerant landscapes. He suggests following a few simple principles, such as arranging plants with similar water needs so that they will be watered by the same sprinkler valve.
On a quarter-acre lot for instance, you could put some fancy tropical plants close to the house, on one valve system, some less thirsty plants beyond, and then some highly drought-tolerant California native plants on the outer reaches, said Kline. He is also attentive to size and shape, and likes to use gravel as a ground cover to create eye-pleasing lines and shapes within the xeriscape.
“If you just put plants out helter-skelter, they look like the devil,” said Kline.
Whether they are California native or not, drought-tolerant plants tend to have extensive root systems, in order to reach what little moisture they can find. Before planting, it’s a good idea to amend the soil, which in most parts of North County is likely to contain sand, rock or clay, said Chisari. Adding composted redwood, peat moss or mulch improves the organic condition of the soil, and improves its ability to hold water.
These soil amendments are available at most nurseries.
For do-it-yourselfers with big jobs, Woodward Organic Products in Lakeside offers various sized truckloads of mulch. People simply choose the right-sized truck for their needs, fill it up with mulch and drive off, leaving their cars there until they return.
There’s also a high-tech soil amendment on the market. Commercially made polymers are added to soil as hard, clear beads. When water is added, the beads become a gelatinous substance that holds hundreds of times its weight in water. The roots of a plant will attach to the polymer, and use the stored water.
Fertilizer can be added if it’s needed. For drought-tolerant plants, Chisari recommends fertilizer that promotes good root growth. There are three numbers on packages of fertilizer, said Chisari. The first number concerns to what degree the fertilizer helps the plant’s green color, the second number relates to flowers, and the third has to do with roots. To correctly fertilize drought-tolerant plants, look for a high third number. Chisari recommends going easy with fertilizer once a plant has begun to mature.
“The most important thing is to have your plants establish a really good root system,” said Chisari. “When you buy a plant, the roots are only as big as the can. The trick is to get them in the ground and water them as you would any other plant.”
That is, give them a good soaking. The water-wise strategy is to then gradually increase the amount of time between waterings, and the duration of the watering time, until you are deeply soaking the plants for about an hour every month or so.
“After two years, the plants should be able to withstand drought conditions,” Chisari said. “Basically, that means they won’t die. But it doesn’t mean they won’t look better with a watering every two or three weeks.”
The best time to plant is from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15, when the soil is still warm enough to promote root growth. Early spring is also good.
Summer is the time to research and plan rather than plant a drought-tolerant landscape.
“If you plant in July and August, the plant transpires, and it’s hard to get going,” said Chisari.
After planting, a 2-inch surface covering of mulch around the base of the plant helps retain moisture and control the growth of weeds, which compete for precious water. When it comes to watering, Chisari prefers conventional methods like pop-up sprinklers, as opposed to drip irrigation.
Underground drip irrigation can conserve water by delivering it directly to the plant’s roots. But, because it’s unseen, it’s hard to know if anything is wrong--if you are watering the plant too much or too little--until the plant is dead.
Above-ground drip systems using so-called spaghetti tubing can be purchased in many hardware stores and nurseries. Using a valve to reduce water pressure and a series of short tubes off a main line, they deliver a slow but steady trickle of water to each of several small spots along a line.
Drip irrigation systems are still relatively new, said Branon. They are becoming better every day, but they are not suitable for all watering jobs, such as for lawns or plants that require water on their leaves--which of course, are not drought-tolerant applications. But, even when drip irrigation is the proper method for the job, some people feel that an important element is missing from the process of growing plants.
“People like to see water, it makes them feel good,” said Kline. “When it’s underground, you don’t see it, and it leaves you hanging.”
It’s still possible to save water using the automatic sprinkler systems that have been installed in many of North County’s newer homes. When plants with similar water needs are placed on the same sprinkler line, and sprinkler heads are adjusted to get only the amount of spray needed, water savings add up.
It’s also important to look at the plants and adjust the timer on the sprinkler appropriately. Chisari recalls one woman who had never looked at her sprinkler controls. Her plants were being watered in the same pattern as when they were first planted, and they were way overgrown.
In her own wooden-box garden, Chisari uses what she calls a leaky pipe. A porous pipe that slowly oozes water, it is buried 6 to 10 inches under the surface, delivering water directly to the roots. No water is lost through evaporation, or in soaking the surface.
Used with drought-tolerant plants, methods like drip irrigation and the leaky pipe save many gallons of water over the long haul.
San Diego is nurturing a growing community of dedicated xeriscapers. Xeriscape ‘90, a fourth annual conference, will be held at the San Diego Convention Center on Oct. 25-26. Co-sponsored by the County Water Authority and Cuyamaca College’s ornamental horticulture program, the conference is primarily directed at people in San Diego County, but should also attract people from other places around the country, said Brad Monroe, coordinator of the Cuyamaca College program.
Monroe teaches a fall-semester class called “Water Conservation and the Landscape,” and is also working on a 20-page color booklet called “Xeriscape San Diego Style,” which will be published in conjunction with the County Water Authority late this summer.
“I’ve been teaching for 15 years, and, when I started, the interest in water conservation was non-existent,” said Monroe. “There has been a hundred-fold increase in awareness. The increasing population, combined with a lot of things, has put us really in a drought situation from here on out.”
Even so, San Diego politicians have yet to declare water conservation measures mandatory. But, like other North County families, the Wolfes are taking steps to save water now.
They once lived in Santa Barbara and hear stories from friends there, where water rationing is in effect. In that city, “water police” hand out $200 tickets to people caught watering, and some residents have taken to spraying their lawns with green vegetable dye.
“I don’t want to get slammed when they go to rationing,” said Ken. “I want to be frugal with water.”
More About Xeriscaping
To see drought-tolerant plants:
City of San Diego Low Water-Use Demonstration Garden, 8450 Mira Mesa Boulevard (Mira Mesa Library).
Quail Botanical Gardens, 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas. 436-3036.
San Diego Wild Animal Park, California 78, Escondido.
To buy drought-tolerant, native California plants:
Weber Nursery, 237 Seaman Drive, Encinitas. 753-1661.
To buy naturalized wildflower mixes:
Pecoff Brothers Nursery and Seed, 20220 Elfin Forest Road, Escondido. 744-3120.
To buy other drought-tolerant plants:
Most commercial nurseries in North County.
To get do-it-yourself drip irrigation systems:
C&M; Ranch & Garden Supply, 125 Lomas Sante Fe Drive, Solana Beach. 755-1727.
Home Depot, 4255 Genessee Ave., San Diego. 277-8910; 3838 Vista Way, Oceanside. 941-5990
Most commercial nurseries.
Information:
A book by Bob Perry, “Trees and Shrubs for Dry California Landscapes.”
Native Plant Society: Meets on the third Tuesday of every month, except August and December, 7:30 p.m. at Casa del Prado, Balboa Park.
Cuyamaca College: Ornamental Horticulture Program. 670-1980.
UC San Diego Extension: 9600 North Torrey Pines Road. 534-3440.
MORE ABOUT XERISCAPING
City of San Diego Water Conservation Program
401 B St., Suite 400
San Diego 92101
533-4111
San Diego County Water Authority
3211 5th Ave.
San Diego 92103
297-3218
