Make Your Garden Environmentally Friendly
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May 23, 2008
From Orange County Register
By Cindy McNatt
How to create a garden that's kind to the California environment.
There is so much we do in a traditional garden that is not nice for the planet. We waste water by the hundreds of gallons, we toss pesticides and herbicides and chemical fertilizers around without consequence, we throw our green waste in the trash and then go out and buy compost by the bag. We let our water run down the curb, into the gutter and ultimately, the ocean, picking up pollutants all the way.
California Friendly is a way to garden responsibly. It's all for having a garden, but one that doesn't damage the environment. Tom Larson, adviser to the Great Park and the Metropolitan Water District, and author of the bewaterwise.com program, says, "There is a misconception that California Friendly is about native plants. But in fact, there is a wide range of plants that respond to this style of gardening. For a truly sustainable landscape, don't think plants, but look at your habits."
Larson has identified a list of tenets for a California Friendly landscape that are easy to implement:
- Use permeable hardscape materials. Driveways and pathways of permeable materials such as gravel, mulch and pavers allow water to pass through into the soil instead of running off into the sewer. Soil is a natural filter that traps chemicals that would otherwise find their way to the sea or aquifers.
- Use water wisely. This is easy. Water lawns no more than three times a week. And water in the early morning to prevent evaporation. Turn off your sprinklers in the winter, entirely - during the rainy season, many landscapes need no extra water at all.
- Try smart sprinkler systems. Smart sprinklers such as HydroPoint's WeatherTRAK are programmed for your type of garden. They gauge the weather, the moisture level of your soil, the wind, and know when your landscape needs water. Go online. Reimbursement programs abound from local water districts. Check for rebates at bewaterwise.com.
- Use California Friendly plants. This is an area up for debate. Many natives naturally use less water. Plant them if you like them. Mediterranean plants in general have low water requirements. But did you know that many mainstream plants such as boxwoods, conifers and camellias are also drought-tolerant? You might not need to replant, but simply stop overwatering the plants you have.
- Group plants. This is a biggie. A water-dependent pansy isn't going to be happy growing next to yucca. Group your plants according to their water needs.
- Go lawnless. The biggest guzzlers in our landscapes are lawns. Can't live without yours? Then reduce it. You don't need lawn grass along your parking strips. You don't need lawn along the driveway. Plant shrubs and trees there instead. Also eliminate lawn areas that you don't use for recreation.
- Mulch. Not only does mulch suppress weeds and keep soil temperatures even around the root zone of plants, it also conserves water by preventing evaporation. A 3-inch-thick layer can cut your water use by two-thirds.
- Garden organically. There is no reason to use chemicals when today's organics work. Try organic solutions for fertilizing and treating pests and disease.
- Feed your soil, not your plants. Contrary to what you may believe, it's the microorganisms in your soil that feed your plants, not the fertilizer you dump on there. In fact, chemical fertilizers kill these organisms. Instead, feed them with compost and fish emulsion, and organic fertilizers, for a true feed the way nature intended.
- Reduce green waste. Composting is the best way to reduce green waste. In fact, it's a two-fer. You're not sending clippings to the landfill and your plants get happy and healthy with regular additions of compost into the soil.
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