Gardening in a Drought

The news is everywhere–-we are in a historic drought, the likes of which haven’t been seen since 800 BCE. And even if that wasn’t in the headlines, we would know. We’ve witnessed the dry winters, felt the parched soil, seen the increased use of sprinklers, drip irrigation, and hand watering during what is supposed to be the rainy season.

Do you know that 50% of residential water use goes to outdoor irrigation? Often that water is wasted on thirsty green lawns, which came into fashion in England and are unsuited to our climate and resources. Water restrictions are turning green lawns brown and making it clear that we need to rediscover the natural beauty of California plants. Now is the time to replace that dead lawn with plants that evolved to thrive in our climate, and that are drought tolerant, low maintenance, and beloved by pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. A world of native plants is just waiting to be discovered. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to bring them into your life!