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With Southern California’s water supplies dwindling
and Santa Monica’s water costs rising, new attention
is being focused on heritage landscaping, or the
idea of trying designs gardens that mimic natural
systems. Heritage
landscaping refers to the use of plants that are
native to this area or from similar climates; it
also, encompasses the adoption
of watering methods that are appropriate to the
chosen plants. Consult the
Southern California Heritage Gardening Guide
for a wealth of information on choosing and growing
heritage plants. |
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Plant
Choice Strategies for Water-Efficiency |
Turf
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A healthy bluegrass lawn will lose more water to
evaporation than a swimming pool of equal size.
Try to limit turf to only where it is required; in a
children's play area for example or around a
swimming pool.
When you use turf keep the
areas large enough to be watered by the more
efficient, longer range rotor-type sprinklers.
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Choose one of
the more water-thrifty types of turf grass such
as hybrid tall fescue.
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Always put turf
on a separate valve from other types of plants.
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Flower
Beds |
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Flower beds are one of the most difficult planting areas to properly irrigate. They are usually planted too close together to permit practical drip irrigation yet the flowers suffer from spray watering which is usually the only alternative. Limit flower beds to areas near entry points or outdoor living areas where you can really enjoy the benefits of the extra attention they require.
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Shrubs,
Trees & Vines |
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Shrubs, trees and vines of all types are ideal candidates for drip irrigation. This fact makes them potentially much more water-thrifty than plants which require sprinkler irrigation.
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This page was last modified on
07/17/2008
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