Drought Tolerant – Groundswell Landscaping

Water Conservation Tools: Mulch

June 23, 2015

A thick layer of organic mulch works as a water conservation tool in a few different ways. The organic layer acts like an insulating blanket moderating soil temperatures and reducing evaporation from the soil surface. Naked soil exposed to the sun will heat up tremendously, whereas the soil under the mulch will remain much cooler, preserving the water that is in the soil so that it is available to your plants. On the other side of the equation a layer of mulch can…

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…

Terrain talks drought tolerant landscape design

February 6, 2015

nathansmithdesign

Garden Philosphy, Garden Style/Design, Landscape Tips

Questions of sustainability swirl in our heads daily as we go about the business of improving residential landscapes during the drought. At Terrain we’re constantly reevaluating our approach and refining our techniques with an eye toward superior results. Lance and I sat down to chat about some of the things that have popped up in recent weeks and I’ve transcribed our conversation below. Lance: Hey Nate, I have more and more people asking me each day if replacing their front lawn with artificial turf is a wise…

La Jolla Cottage Native Landscape Complete

October 30, 2014

nathansmithdesign

Projects

We are just wrapping up planting on the landscape I posted pictures of a month ago. We planted a generous spread of native dune sedge which will spreads by rhizomes to form a fairly drought tolerant lawn substitute. A redwood pergola houses a bronze bas-relief sculpture. Mature toyon and lemonade berry screen the backyard from the adjacent open space. We created a new walkway to the front door marked by a redwood arbor. A permeable gravel driveway replaced a degraded combination…