Drought gardening practices

The Dry Times- Living and Gardening with Drought by Susan Handjian

The April GRGC meeting was held at Elinor’s lovely home.

Susan Handjian discussed our present water situation and the historical perspective of the water problem was discussed. The interesting micro-climates and the Mediterranean Climate weather characteristics of the area were discussed. The concept of how plants will adapt and have adapted was discussed.

What can a gardener do to deal with these issues?

What to do:

• Know what your weather zone's micro-climate is.

• Manage your garden plants into water zones to localize watering practices.

• Use the presented information on plant establishment, mulching, weed management and watering strategies for your garden.

• Consider instigating water loss troubleshooting, rainwater harvesting schemes and grey water management practices.

• Finally select good drought resistant plants.

Achilla species and cultivars- Yarrow

Cercis occedentalis – Western Redbud

Ceanothus species cultivars

Salvia species cultivars

Gailladia species cultivars – Blanket Flower

Rosmarinus cultivars

Penstemon heterophyllus - Foothill Penstemon

Verbena lilacina “De La Mina” - Cerdros Island Verbana

Muhlenbergia rigens - Deer Grass

Sarcococca ruscifolia - Sweet Box, Vanilla Box

Ribus viburnifolium – Catalina Perfume

Zauschneria species and cultivars

Susan’s wonderful sense of humor made the presentation an enjoyable experience for all in attendance.

Suggested Readings and Resources

Books

Bornstein, Carol, David Fross and Bart O’Brien. California Native Plants for the Garden, Cachuma Press, Los Olivos, California, 2005

Clebsch, Betsy. The New Book of Salvias: Sages for Every Garden, Timber Press, Portland, Oregon 2003

Filippi, Olivier. The Dry Gardening Handbook, Thames & Hudson, London, 2008

Fross, David, and Dieter Wilken. Ceanothus, Timber Press, Portland, Oregon 2006

Gildemeister, Heidi. Gardening the Mediterranean Way, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, New York 2004

Gildemeister, Heidi. Mediterranean Gardening: A Waterwise Approach, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, New York 2002

Harlow, Nora, Editor. Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Oakland, California 2004

Lancaster, Brad. Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond Vol. 1, Rainsource Press, 2013

Ludwig, Art. The New Create an Oasis with Rainwater, Oasis Design, 2006

O’Brien, Bart, Betsey Landis and Ellen Mackey. Care and Maintenance of Southern California Native Plant Gardens, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, California Native Plant Society and Theodore Payne Foundation, 2006

Popper, Helen. California Native Gardening, A Month-By-Month Guide, University of California Press, Berkeley, California 2012

Smith, Nevin M. Native Treasures, Gardening with the Plants of California, University of California Press, Berkeley, California 2006

Useful Links

https://www.bayfriendlycoalition.org/BFLandscapeTools.shtml - List of turf alternatives/ground covers

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/snowapp/sweq.action - Latest snowpack information

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/sdo_summary.html

http://ecologycenter.org/calendar/ - covers all grey water and rainwater harvesting classes