Be Water Wise – Groundswell Landscaping

End of the drought?

April 20, 2017

Be Water Wise, Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Landscape Tips, Uncategorized

I’ve had several folks ask me how business has been affected by the “end of the drought” brought about by this past rainy season. While the landscapes we’ve developed benefitted greatly from true rainfall and new gardens are looking better than ever our approach hasn’t changed a bit. I don’t think sensible, sensitively designed, regionally appropriate, drought tolerant landscaping will go out of style, washed off in one winter’s rain. The rain hasn’t changed our approach except perhaps to inspire us…

Front yard living transformation.

January 26, 2017

nathansmithdesign

Be Water Wise, Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Front Yard Landscapes, Garden Style/Design, Projects

We transformed this Carlsbad front yard from the traditional developer front lawn to a drought tolerant dynamic and inviting front yard living area. Creating an enclosed front patio allowed the owner to leave the front door open and have her dogs out front without having to worry about them running off. Check out the photos below.

Focus on front yard drought tolerant landscaping

May 18, 2016

nathansmithdesign

Be Water Wise, Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Front Yard Landscapes, Garden Philosphy, Garden Style/Design, Landscape Tips, Projects, Uncategorized

Re-doing your front yard with drought tolerant landscaping yields more value than you might imagine. A well executed front yard landscape can have positive effects on your home value, your neighborhood, the broader environment, your social interactions and your quality of life. A new front landscape can significantly improve the curb appeal of your home. Very often the outside of the house sells the inside. Make a good first impression of your home by making the approach to the front…

Water Conservation Tools: Grading & Soil Preparation

February 29, 2016

nathansmithdesign

Be Water Wise

This winter’s El Niño rainfall hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations thus far and our recent warm temperatures are a reminder that the dry season is coming. Making the best use of our water resources is definitely on our mind whenever we take on a new landscape project. We believe the most cost effective, efficient and sensible way to capture water is through grading and soil preparation. The land on your property is a watershed resource where you can capture whatever rain…

Irrigate efficiently for water savings in landscape

September 12, 2015

nathansmithdesign

Be Water Wise, Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Landscape Tips, Uncategorized

Irrigate efficiently for water saving in the landscape. Keep in mind the following statements as we work to make efficient use of our limited water resources. 1. It’s better to water your landscape deeply and infrequently, as opposed to frequently and shallowly. 2. Runoff and waste are undesirable (obviously!). It would seem that these two principles are at odds with one another, but if you have a reasonably current irrigation controller the solution is straightforward. Generally speaking sprinklers put out water…

Removing your turf to install drought tolerant landscaping

June 11, 2015

nathansmithdesign

Be Water Wise, Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Landscape Tips, Projects

A bit over two years ago we were called in to help a client, who was interested in drought tolerant landscaping, and was struggling with a poorly performing lawn. We had a clear solution for them, and advised to… “remove your turf”! Now instead of a thirsty and marginal grass area these folks enjoy an extended outdoor living space with lush drought tolerant plantings and a useful flagstone patio. We were called back to check in. The garden had filled in beautifully and…

Turf Removal Rebates

March 12, 2015

nathansmithdesign

Be Water Wise, Landscape Tips

Do you want to make sustainable landscape improvements while reducing your out of pocket expenses? The county water authority and the metropolitan water district have great rebate programs that encourage you to do just that! Front yard landscapes are especially good candidates for turf replacement. In the last six months four of our clients have been approved for rebates ranging from $700 to $2,000. The funds for these programs are exhausted rapidly, but periodically replenished so it’s worth monitoring their websites to…

Keep the rain coming!

December 18, 2014

nathansmithdesign

Be Water Wise, Landscape Tips

We at Terrain sure are glad to see the recent rains. Natural rainfall has an effect on landscapes that irrigation cannot reproduce. We’ve had enough rain in the last few weeks to actually penetrate and moisten the soil thoroughly. Consider shutting of your irrigation for a while if you have an established landscape and let Mother Nature take over the task. Cheers!