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Fall is upon us and the change of weather signaled by the equinox brings changes to our garden. As we prepare for the cooler season ahead, it is a time to consider the choices of plants to use before we head to the nursery. This is also the best time of the year to introduce new foundation and perennial plants to our gardens.

In recent years, federal policy changes and drought conditions have reduced the amount of water coming to Southern California. The local water agencies have developed programs for more water conservation, including landscape recommendations. They have developed programs and a website,

http://www.bewaterwise.com, to assist local residents in making new plant choices.
According to the water agencies, most water use in our homes is in our gardens and most gardens are being over-watered by an average of five feet of water per year. Their conclusion is that reducing outdoor watering is the surest solution to securing water for future generations. As a part of their website, there is a watering calculator and watering index that can help you determine the amount of water your landscape needs.

Developing a water-wise garden can occur over many seasons and include a variety of trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, annuals and ground covers. Also included in the website is an advanced search option where you can choose from among various options, the type of plant you want, sun requirement, size and color and your soil type and it will show you various water-wise plant choices for your garden.

Planting water-wise foundation plants and grasses now means that they will have an opportunity to take advantage of nature and absorb the winter rains to establish their roots before the return of warmer weather. This is a plant then ready to handle the summer heat.

Making a change to a more water-wise garden means reconsidering the use of grass in our environment. According to John Greenlee, an expert on grasses of all sizes and shapes and owner of Greenlee Nursery in Pomona, there is more to grass than the emerald green turf that covers much of our urban landscape. Turf is the number one garden product and the American lawn is going to change with the introduction of ornamental groundcover and meadow grasses. See the entire interview at http://www.greenbeam.com/features/they082001.stm.

Greenlee’s book, The Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses-How to Grow and Use over 250 Beautiful and Versatile Plants, is a compendium of all sizes and shapes of grasses from around the world, most that would be appropriate in our Southern California gardens.

Having an old-fashioned heritage garden that replicates the style and look of early California, filled with native and California friendly plants well suited to our environment, is definitely a goal for anyone landscaping their gardens. Making the changes necessary takes time and some thought.

A choice today is to have a garden that blends both the natives and more drought tolerant plants with some of the exotics that we have come to know and enjoy in our gardens. I have been working several years in my garden to eliminate the turf grass and replace it with a combination of ornamental grasses and drought tolerant perennials. Still, I love my roses; and, while they are not drought tolerant, I recently introduced a California native species rose into my garden. Life, after all, is a series of compromises.

I would welcome your suggestions. Email me at eviecolog@aol.com. Happy Gardening.