I used to consider weeds ugly. Now in a dry climate, I consider them bad. There’s only so much water, and garden plants lose out in a contest with weeds. Survival has supplanted aesthetics as my impetus to weed. Contemplate a dandelion that produces 15,000 seeds, or purslane whose seeds persist in soil for 20… Read More Wage war on weeds
The jury is in. Climate change is real. Water crises, both global and local, are too. Data, with graphs of interrelationships and implications over time, spurs us to shred assumptions, gain perspective, and forge a sound course of action. The studies below look back to discover trends, or ahead to project likelihood and impact. They… Read More Data worth a thousand words
A mix of technology, body parts, and products, the common denominator for my top waterwise tools below is their startling value to sustainability. They embody Marshall McLulan‘s aphorism: “We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.” #1. Meter The water meter is a veritable truth-teller on use by day, by zone, by function.… Read More My top 10 waterwise tools + 2
You view mulch as optional or boring? To quote Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, “Big mistake. Big. Huge.” No matter the climate zone or garden type, mulch is universally recommended. The stated context is as a ‘protective layer’ over soil and covered by plants. That is vital in dry climates, and so is its unheralded… Read More Revere mulch
Initially a symbol of wealth and then prestige once push mowers arrived, lawn has lately become waste’s poster child. Shrinking water supplies call into question our 45 million acres of turf and our landscape irrigation that takes 30-60% of all residential water nationwide. On a square footage basis, lawns generally use 4-6 times more water… Read More Squander on the grass
When rationing raised its ugly head in early 2014, I realized how little I knew about our new California home. Even with my prior 7 years on climate change solutions, until that moment our local water use, the yin and yang of droughts and floods, and centuries of water shortage were not my turf. Armed… Read More My favorite resources
Normally needing little if any irrigation, trees are easy to overlook as gardeners adapt to lack of water. Yet trees are inarguably gardens’ most important living elements, and a drought imperils their very existence. Job #1 should be to save trees, not water. Consider trees’ riches. Beyond their natural beauty, they reduce energy use by… Read More Remember the trees
Drifts of groundcover are naturally beautiful and unifying elements in gardens. Yet these innocent-looking plants can become an H20-ingesting Little Shop of Horrors. It’s the nature of an abundance of alluring smallish plants, each dependent on a little irrigation. Three sustainability pitfalls stem from groundcover’s seductiveness. Initially, with human nature being what it is, plants… Read More Rethink groundcover
Yogi Berra could have been describing water-wise landscaping when he proclaimed “Little things are big.” It may seem counterintuitive, but that is particularly true for irrigation leaks. The big culprit is not the once-in-a-blue-moon, attention-getting gusher but rather a myriad of little, insidious leaks. A gusher can waste thousands of gallons in a few hours… Read More Four smart sleuthing skills
OK, so we all know drought-tolerant plants are a sustainability winner. But do you know three other winners? These four distinctive strategies combine to optimize plant types and quantities, setting the course for water efficiency: Drought-tolerant plants Plant placement Water/square foot Plant removal It’s a mystery why only one of these four – drought-tolerant plants… Read More Four winning plant strategies
Landscaping Water Wise 