Lawn Rebates Won’t Fix L.A.’s Water Crisis—But Smarter Landscaping Could
CONSERVING WATER - As seasonal average temperatures continue to increase around the world, LA residents are noticing how difficult it is to keep their landscaping looking its best for many reasons. Not only is the hot weather taking its toll on yards, but the water crisis is also keeping water use under tight controls to prevent drought. As groundwater reserves are depleted further and further each year, sustainable landscaping is becoming an increasingly important part of maintaining property values and landscaping around homes.
Landscape design services in Los Angeles can help LA homeowners to create beautiful, sustainable, drought-protected landscaped features that look great and are easy to care for. There are various highly effective landscaping protocols that can allow LA homeowners to break free from the need for excessive amounts of water to maintain green spaces, flowers, and other plants that have been traditionally utilized as part of the landscaping in this region of the US.
Smart Landscaping Can Resolve Drought Concerns and Protect Home Values
There are various methodologies that can be utilized to maintain a beautiful landscape around a home without relying on precious water that is being reserved for other uses. These protocols and techniques often need to be used in tandem to ensure that plants can be supported properly without further depleting limited water reserves in the LA area.
1. Watershed-Approach Landscaping
You don’t have to replace grass or lawn spaces with gravel to be able to save water. Sponge gardens can be created utilizing native soil, permeable materials, and stormwater, allowing for greenery without requiring fresh water, expensive non-native plants, and lots of intensive upkeep each week. This plan features capturing rainwater for use in irrigation, selecting drought-resistant and climate-appropriate plants, and using smart irrigation systems that are low-waste.
Bermudagrass, Fescue grasses, and Zoysia grasses can replace other grass varieties and allow homeowners to maintain attractive green spaces without needing to use excessive amounts of fresh water each month for maintenance.
2. Promote Biodiversity
Climate-specific landscaping will need to lean toward native California flora. There are various programs that can be accessed to help with no-cost conversions of this kind. A skilled landscaping team can take this idea and make it artistic, appealing, and truly unique. You don’t have to give up all of your beautiful landscaping just because you have converted your yard to the right local plant life.
Native gardens are actually ideal ways to support pollinators, to naturally cool the environment, and to collect moisture and store it properly in the soil. Your yard can give back by having biodiversity and being correctly populated with local plants that are perfect for the weather in this part of the state.
3. Use Correct Irrigation
Gone are the days when homeowners can just water their lawns with water from the spigot and call it good. You need to be smarter about your water consumption these days to help stave off drought. Greywater integration can be a big benefit to some yards and yard ecosystems. This is a water recycling methodology that will allow you to water deep-rooted shrubs and items like fruit trees with wastewater that comes from sources like your washing machine.
Drip water systems are also very effective and waste a lot less water when set up correctly. You might also want to invest in a smart watering system that waters your yard based on the current weather systems moving through the area, saving water on rainy days and using water in the right areas of your yard that are getting the most heat and sun. Smart watering controllers and systems have come a long way and can be counted on to help you save money and take proper care of the plants in your yard year-round.
Be sure that you inquire about all of your options when you are creating a more diverse and correct landscaping plan for California weather and the current ongoing drought conditions impacting the state.
Some Added Gardening Tips for Drought Conditions
There are some best practices that are important to utilize when caring for your yard in the LA area. You should be sure that you always water early before the heat of the day. The sun can evaporate most of the water that you are putting on your plants, and you can also burn some types of plants by watering them when the sun is directly overhead.
Make sure that watering systems and hand watering processes target the roots. While leaves and other parts of plants can absorb moisture, it is important to keep the soil and the root ball of most plants wet so that they are protected from high temperatures.
Avoid heavy pruning or fertilizing during drought periods. These can be tough on the plants that are being treated and pruned and this can lead to them expending more energy and needing more water to compensate. You can also let your lawn go dormant during the peak heat of the summer. It will bounce right back when the weather cools down and you go back to watering it again.
Creating an Appropriately Landscaped Yard Doesn’t Have to be a Struggle
If you live in the LA area and you are trying to figure out the best way to landscape your yard to help increase biodiversity and protect access to fresh water, you will want to use these tips and tricks while you are replanting or upgrading your yard. Be sure that you choose a skilled and experienced landscape designer and care team to help you meet your goal of a drought-resistant and efficient yard that is perfect for the LA area. It takes years to learn how to put together the perfect yard for drought conditions and a team of experts can help eliminate guesswork and mistakes while designing a beautiful yard that you will love.
Making LA a better place means helping to protect access to fresh water for everyone. Responsible landscaping can go a long way toward ensuring that everyone living in and around LA is able to enjoy a beautiful city that has enough water to go around.
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