In other parts of the country, last summer’s garden is a memory and next spring’s garden is a dream. Here in Southern California, however, winter gardening is our best gardening. Really! While the air is cool, the days are short, and – hopefully – we get some rain, this is the time to make big garden changes.
First, Replace Your Lawn
With so little rainfall now and even less rainfall predicted into the future, it really is time to go waterwise.
Getting rid of your lawn is the first step towards creating a waterwise garden. While grass is green, it is one of the thirstiest and hungriest plants in the garden. Grass requires constant pruning (mowing) and fertilizing, along with regular watering to look its best.
Rosemary and rockrose add wonderful color to this waterwise garden. Photo © Nan Sterman, 2013
Waterwise gardens, on the other hand, are beautiful, textural, and color-filled. They are also very low maintenance since they require no fertilizer (other than vegetables and fruit trees), no mowing (once the lawn is gone), only occasional pruning, and best of all, very little water.
Dymondia margaretae creates a drought tolerant green space in place of lawn.
In place of a lawn, let waterwise plants create those important negative green spaces in your garden. Dymondia margaretae, for example, is a durable, low growing groundcover that handles foot traffic and even an occasional car. And don’t worry about your dog, he’ll find other places to do his “duty.”
Turf Rebates Can Offset Costs
Removing a lawn cost money, of course, primarily for labor and sometimes for machinery. Metropolitan Water District’s (MWD) turf rebates are a great resource for offsetting those expenses. The turf rebates are part of MWD’s Landscape Transformation Program. Visit BeWaterwise.com, to learn more and while you are there, be sure to watch our videos, Bye Bye Grass: How to Remove Your Lawn and After the Lawn is Gone: Waterwise Gardens.
Get inspired to create a new landscape design, apply for a rebate, start tearing out that lawn and get ready to save even more on water.
A Whole New World of Beautiful Waterwise Plants
Once your lawn is gone, a whole world of beautiful plants – all waterwise – opens up. If you need waterwise garden ideas, get a copy of my latest book, Hot Color, Dry Garden. Buy it here, and I’ll send you a signed copy. It’s a fantastic holiday gift for waterwise gardeners and garden lovers on your list, too.
Nan Sterman’s latest book, available now
So if you think winter is a time to sit by the fire and sip hot cocoa, think again. In Southern California it’s time for winter gardening!
— Nan Sterman
