Drought Conscious Landscaping

Fri Mar 11 2016 | drought | sod

The 2015 drought in Southern California is in full effect. Water restrictions are in place calling for a 25% reduction in overall usage. This brings about an opportunity to adapt your yard to something more contemporary and sustainable.

Traditionally, yards in Southern California have been mostly lawn with few trees and some trim along the exterior. The image below is a good example.

Fully sodded yard

While this does have some classic appeal and some functional use (e.g. sports, recreation), it's not the most pragmatic approach to landscaping given the circumstances.

It is possible, however, to accommodate water restrictions while maintaining a yard that conforms to the local climate and retains the functionality of a more traditional sodded yard.

One way to approach this is to expand patios and hardscapes to limit the total composition of pure sod in your yard. The benefit of some sod is still there for kids, dogs, and recreation, and water usage can still be significantly reduced.

Partially sodded yard

Here are a few other examples of more contemporary landscaping ideas that reduce water usage and increase property values:

Partial lawn with patio Half sodded yard with a patio

Some great incentives are in place depending on the water district for replacing some of that fully sodded yard with native plant life instead. Be sure to take a look at bewaterwise.com for information about potential sod rebates in your area.

Some other water saving ideas for your landscape:

  • Drought-tolerant plants
  • Decorative rock and bark
  • Drip irrigation systems
  • Rain barrels
  • Smart sprinkler clocks
  • Expanded play areas
  • Reduce turf areas and save 25%

As always, feel free to contact us with any questions.