By Janet Lawless Christ
What timing to post this video – in case you missed it just one week before California Governor Jerry Brown’s mandatory water conservation level 2 sanctions were imposed today, Rancho Santa Fe, CA resident Kelly Dixon of Nature Designs Landscaping gave an amazing informational talk at the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club on just that subject. Water conservation, better irrigation ideas, and climate friendly plants that are native to our area were just some of the topics she covered.
She spoke so eloquently and informatively about how the water tolerant and drought resistant plants are beautiful. You don’t need to have rolling green lawns that are sucking up all the water. She gave valuable tips, actionable advice, and she spoke from the heart. It was really a wonderful talk and now I am using her on my own personal property in the covenant of Rancho Santa Fe, CA to ensure that my own acreage is completely water tolerant and Southern Californian friendly. Hopefully you watch the whole video and learn how to make your own property drought resistant.
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Here are the facts:
– We live in a beautiful desert that receives less than 10” of rainfall each year
– Very few plants would exist here without irrigation
So what can we do TODAY? Consider these tips on becoming water tolerant and drought resistant:
Know your irrigation system:
– Watch it run, check and adjust for overspray
– Reduce run times and add multiple start times to allow water to soak
– Program it with minimal timing
– Recheck monthly
Check for water leaks:
– Check your meter meter with all water turn off (ice maker and hot water heater, too), repair as needed.
– Call a leak detection company if necessary
Improve your planting beds and lawn:
– Reduce lawn and increase your garden space
– Add climate appropriate plants
– Increase spacing between plants on new plantings
– Consider Fescue lawn alternatives
Lower your swimming pool water use:
– Add a pool cover to reduce evaporation and heat loss
– Check for leaks
– Build smaller, shallower pools and water features
– Add a cover to reduce evaporation and heat loss
– Add a swim jet for lap swimming
If you are a resident of Southern California and are interested in speaking to Kelly Dixon about saving money on your water bill while being drought resistant, here is her contact info:
email – kellyd@naturedesigns.net
phone – (760) 672-3021
http://www.naturedesigns.net