Residential Landscape Conversion for Homeowners

Presents…
Residential Landscape Conversion
for Homeowners
Sponsored by the
Department of Water Resources
Workshop Objectives
Empower homeowners to conserve water in the face of
extreme drought
Educate the public on the benefits of lawn conversion
Provide knowledge and resources needed to replace
residential lawns with beautiful, water-efficient native plants
Gardening with California Native Plants
Bring the beauty of California into your own
landscape and create a sense of place that is
uniquely Californian
California native plants are unlike any other in
the world
California‟s wild gardens are immensely
diverse and awe-inspiring in their beauty
Few of the landscapes designed for
out state‟s gardens reflect the
natural splendor for which
California is famous
Native vs. Non Native
 California‟s renowned climate allows many “exotic” or
“non-native” plants to thrive but not without overcoming
certain conditions with fertilizer, water, and constant care.
 Exotics called “Mediterranean” plants are viable water-wise
options because their characteristics are adaptable to CA
climate
STILL…NO MATCH FOR NATIVES!
 Native plants are perfectly in sync with our soil, climate,
and wildlife, making them a holistically sustainable choice.
 Native plants and the crucial resources that we are
working so hard to conserve are essentially made for each
other, and can thrive naturally.
Native Plants Save Water
 Replacing water-consuming, high maintenance,
traditional landscapes and lawn with CA native plants
can reduce the average homeowner‟s water
consumption by 60%
 EVEN MORE savings when rain gardens, swales, and
other drainage-control techniques are implemented
 Once established, native plants can withstand little or
no watering and can rely on rainfall alone!
Photo credit: Grow Water
Additional Benefits
Pollinator Conservation
Invite Wildlife
Native plant gardens provide urban corridors
between natural and agricultural areas. Bring
nature into your home garden and restore our
environment
Photo credit: Margo Bors
Lower Maintenance
Reduce Pesticides
Photo credit: Margo Bors
Spend your time
enjoying your garden not mowing, blowing, or
hedging away
Most pesticides kill
indiscriminately and
beneficial insects become
secondary targets
Support Local Ecology
Photo credit: John Whittlesey
Restore nature
one garden at
a time
Understanding the Bigger Picture
California is one of only 25
GLOBAL biodiversity hot spots
At the rate we are turning ecosystems into monocrop
farms, lawns, hardscapes, developments, and human
biomass, we are quickly taking ourselves out of a very
unique honor.
FACT
CALIFORNIA IS THE MOST HYDROLOGICALLY
ALTERED LANDMASS ON THE PLANET
Wetlands: More than 90% have disappeared
Riparian Woodlands: Only 1% still considered intact
Vernal Pools: 66% have been destroyed
Freshwater Marshlands: Less than 6% remain
CA Native Grasslands: Only 2-3% remain
THE CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS OF SPECIES AND
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IS HEARTBREAKING
SOLUTION
The conversion of sterile suburban gardens to rich natural
habitat through the use of local native plants!
Know Thy Place
Context is everything
The unique interweaving of climate, hydrology, geology, community dynamics,
and humans as an integrated whole. Understanding where we are in the world
and how that place operates.
How has it worked in the past?
VS
How have we altered these aspects
with our current practices?
How we can address this at the
home level…
What we currently do
What we should be doing
Think like a watershed
Photo credit: Grow Water
Integrated Design
The integrated design process places water harvesting features
in intentional relationship with other site elements, and within the
natural and human context of the site. Its goal is create systems
whose value and utility are greater than the sum of their parts.
Getting Started
SITE ANALYSIS An important and often overlooked step is
getting familiar with the site and taking inventory of the
site conditions
 Climate
Choosing plants that are well adapted to the local
climate will ensure the most success for a garden.
 Sun-shade exposure
The amount of sun a plant requires varies by region,
site, and season
 Soil
Garden soil is complex and variable, and has a big
impact on which plants will do well in the garden
 Water
Explore water availability in the garden (fog,
irrigation, rain, greywater, etc.)
CLIMATE
California is considered a “Mediterranean” climate
•
•
•
Characterized by cool, wet winters and warm, dry
summers
Total annual rain is highly variable form year to year
Snow is rare except at high elevations
Mediterranean climate only occurs on 2% of the world‟s land area
http://www.gimcw.org/climate/images/worldmap.jpg
Sun – Shade Exposure
http://www.renovateyourworld.com/images/HowTo/IHouse/YardGarden/SummerWinter2.jpg
• Shade cast from mature trees & surrounding
structure
• Intensity of the sun exposure varies: cool morning
sun or hot afternoon sun.
Soil
Garden soil is complex and variable, and it has a big impact on which
plants will do well in the garden. Many native plants used in gardens
prefer lean, well-drained soils.
TEXTURE

Clay: nutrient-dense, slow to drain, composed of small, flat
particulates

Sand: light & airy, less nutrient-dense, composed of large, round
particulates

Silt: intermediate in nutrient density, drainage, and particulate size
STRUCTURE

The combination and arrangement of a soil‟s mineral density, organic
material, and living organisms determines the availability of essential
materials to plants
CHEMISTRY

Fertility, pH, salinity, and toxicity are four basic chemical properties
that affect garden soils. Native plants are adapted to the natural
chemical properties of local soils and so, generally speaking, adding
fertilizer or otherwise amending soil is not necessary and can create
adverse growing conditions.
Getting to Know Your Soil
PERCOLATION TEST
Determine if you soil has fast, medium, or slow drainage

Step 1: Dig a hole10 inches deep and 8 inches wide.

Step 2: Fill it with water, and let it drain.

Step 3: Refill it, but this time measure how long it takes for the hole to
empty

Step 4: After 15 minutes, measure the drop in water in inches, and
multiply by 4 to calculate how much water drains in an hour
Getting to Know Your Soil
PERCOLATION TEST
Results
 Slow drainage: Less than 1” per hour
*plants that don't tolerate poor drainage will suffer. This
includes most of the species that originate in chaparral or
sage scrub wild communities. Look for indicators such as
“tolerates clay” on plant descriptions to know which
plants will work in poor-draining soils.
 Medium drainage: 1” to 6” inches of drainage per
hour is well-draining
 Fast drainage: More than 6” per hour
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/452/452-129/L_IMG_appendix.jpg
Getting to Know Your Soil
Water
Explore water availability in the garden and water
requirements of plants
 Young and/or recently transplanted plants generally require
more water than established ones
 The best planting time for most natives is the fall, when rainfall
can be their initial source of irrigation
 Water resources include fog, irrigation, rain, and greywater
 Mulch, wind, sun, and soil type influence water retention
 Native plants have adapted to dry, hot summers; overirrigation (especially in summer/fall months) can lead to plant
mortality
Now that the site conditions are
understood the design process can begin
Design a Plan…
•
•
•
•
Whether you are doing the whole yard or only a section, it is
helpful to have a plan on paper showing the size and shape of the
lot
Include the location of the house and other structures, paths,
existing trees, fences, doors, driveways, etc.
Initially the drawing can be a rough sketch but accuracy
becomes more important as your design starts to take shape.
From a sketch you can prepare what is called a BUBBLE PLAN.
Bubble Plan
A bubble plan is the first step towards defining the pieces in your
yard that will come together to form the whole. It is equivalent to a
writer‟s outline. A bubble plan helps you see the big picture.
Scaled Plan
Will lend order to the garden design, and helps avoid crowding,
which is one of the most common mistakes. It is not necessary to
have a scaled plan for the entire yard; rather, focus on the area
you will be planting.
What to include:
•
Size of the bed
•
Location of all paths
•
Irrigation
•
Benches, and other hardscape
•
Include existing plants, such as trees, that will remain in the
garden
Scaled Plan
Raised Planterbed
Toyon
White Leaf
Manzanita
Sulfur
Buckwheat
California
Fuchsia
Coyote Mint
Tips for Laying out Plants
Place the plants by height
Tall: 8‟-10‟ height
Set foundation plants in
backgroundfast growing, evergreen
shrubs or trees
Med: 4‟-6‟ height
Low: 2‟-3‟ height
Edge with low growing
perennials/groundcover
•
•
•
•
•
Scale diameter of your plant symbol to accurately reflect the mature width
of the plant to allow for proper spacing
Group plants (other than specimens) in odd numbers: 3,5,7,9
Don‟t for get about the understory of trees - great place for shade-loving
perennials
Seed wildflowers throughout dry creek beds to stabilize the slope and give
pops of color throughout the season
Contour the ground with a dry creek bed of varying sizes of rocks and
boulders. Create a deeper basin at the end of the dry creek for plants
that require moderate to high amounts of water.
Implementing an earth works design creates a multi-tiered
landscape with diverse structures and landforms. Create
topographical interest that has regenerative properties, which will
eventually cause the landscape to rely primarily on rainfall alone
Hydrozoning Grouping together of plants with similar water needs.
OASIS ZONE 30-50 ft. form the home. This is the area where the most water
is available (i.e. rainwater, greywater) with easiest distribution.
Rain Garden aka Earthworks
 Use runoff from impenetrable surfaces and utilize rainwater
where it falls or is directed
 Conserve water, reduce urban run-off, and increase rain water
infiltration and landscape rehydration
 Reduce energy use and the need for potable water irrigation
To be truly water-wise
Design your landscape where rainwater can be the primary
source of irrigation (after establishment), grey water as the
secondary source, and municipal water as the final back up
source.
For information on greywater system implementation, visit
www.growwater.org
Removing Your Lawn
There are many effective ways to remove your lawn, but
choosing the proper method for your site will depend on a
close analysis of the type of turfgrass.
 Sheet Mulching
 Solarization
 Manual Removal
 Herbicides
 Mechanical Removal
 Kick Sod Cutter
 Motorized Sod Cutter
 Rototiller
Sheet Mulching
 Mow your lawn and leave the nitrogen-rich grass clippings in
place as this will just add nutrients to the soil, remove any other
bulky plant material
 Water the ground so the soil is moist, not muddy or overly
saturated, to kick start the decomposition process.
If you are planting during this process, plant all 5-gallon and larger plants
before the next step
 Lay down an organic weed barrier (cardboard, newspaper,
burlap bags). Tip: Moisten the material to prevent it from
blowing away, and this will also help with the decomposition.
Overlap the material by 4-6” to completely cover the ground.
 Apply 1-2” of organic compost on top of the cardboard, and
top with 4” of locally sourced arborist chips or plant debris.
 Pros: Minimizes weeds, improves soil structure, increases plant
health, no gas emissions, no hauling of green waste
Photo credit John Whittelesey
Solarization
 Cover turf with a clear plastic tarp for 4 to 6 weeks
during a hot period of the year.
 The plastic sheets allow the sun's radiant energy to be
trapped in the soil, heating the top 12 to 18 inches
and killing a wide range of soilborn pests, such as
weeds, pathogens, nematodes, and insects
 Requires direct sunlight in order to raise temperature
 Pros: Relatively quick and effective
 Cons: May also kill beneficial soil life
Manual Removal
 Water your turf.
 Punctuate the ground in long lines and return to the first
spot
 Use a flat-end shovel and work in long strips. Dig out a
strip the width of the shovel and about eight to ten inches
long.
 Dig down about three to four inches. Use a spade or
edger to cut strips into the turf. Use a sod cutter for large
lawns.
 Insert a pitchfork or spade underneath a strip of turf.
 Pros: Inexpensive and environmentally friendly
 Cons: May take a long time
Herbicides
 Chemical application of herbicide to kill lawn and
weeds
 Pros: Easy and effective
 Cons: Expensive, slow process (can take up to 3
applications), not environmentally sound due to the
long term consequences: kills soil biology,
indiscriminate downstream effects from runoff, overreliance on man-made chemicals that negate the
healthful benefits your native plant garden is meant to
create
Kick Sod Cutter
 A mechanized version of “Physical Removal”
 Instead of using a shovel, you can buy an inexpensive
tool, like a plow, to help speed the process.
 A kick sod cutter has two long handles anchored with a
cross bar, with a roller and a flat blade at ground level.
You can adjust the level of the blade to one that works
best for your project.
 The cutter is used by kicking the cross bar to move it along
as you cut. You can use this type of cutter to remove
long, narrow strips of sod you can roll up and dispose of.
 A general step by step guide is available at:
http://www.cnps.org/cnps/grownative/lawn/#grass_rem
oval
 Pros: Clean and easy
 Cons: Cut sod and soil will need to be disposed of
Motorized Sod Cutter
 For large areas of sod, consider renting a mechanical
sod cutter.
 Each motorized cutter comes with its own operation
manual that contains specific directions for using that
machine, always read those directions before you
begin.
 A general step by step guide is available at
http://www.cnps.org/cnps/grownative/lawn/#grass_r
emoval
 A motorized sod cutter requires some strength and
control to run, and you may want to hire a professional
if your turf area is large enough to warrant its use.
 Pros: Clean and easy
 Cons: Mechanical, petrochemical-based engines.
Cut sod and soil will need to be disposed of.
Rototill
 The device is widely available for short-term rental.
 Plow the soil with a mechanized rototiller.
 The soil is turned over in place. This theoretically kills the grass,
because it tears up the stolons of rhizomatous plants like Bermuda
grass, Nut Sedge, and Oxalis. But in general practice, this method
promotes and spreads these very plants.
 It may, in the short term, alleviate soil compaction of the surface
layer, but it also negatively affects the soil biology.
 Breaking up sod with a tiller requires strength and persistence,
especially in clay and heavily compacted or rocky soils.
 Pros: Retains organic matter; quicker and easier than digging;
planting can begin immediately
 Cons: It is difficult on rocky sites and in wet or clay soils; turns up
weed seeds; propagates certain weeds
Plant Selection
“Where do I even begin?!”
Take a tip
from Mother
Nature!
 Determine the natural plant community of the site prior to urbanization
(example: Oak woodland, grassland, chaparral, riparian woodland, etc.)
this will help identify what will work best with the site‟s microclimate, soil, and
biotic factors.
“How do I know what plant community I live in?”
 Take a look at the undeveloped areas in your neighborhood, note
what type of plants are growing there. These can be indicators to
identify your plant community.
 Web resources: Las Pilitas has a searchable list of plant communities
by every zip code in California. You can visit
http://www.laspilitas.com/comhabit/.htm to determine your plant
community.
 Book recommendation: Designing California Native Gardens: The
Plant Community Approach to Artful, Ecological Gardens
By Glenn Keator and Alrie Middlebrook
Plant Selection
OR… Let Calscape do the work for you!
CALSCAPE
“Helping Californians Save Water and Restore Nature One Garden at a Time”
 Based on a mapping of the natural distribution ranges of
over 3,000 native California plants, and developed in
coordination with the Consortium of California Herbaria,
Calscape enables visitors to enter any California street
address to easily see the plants that would naturally grow
at that location.
 Plant profiles include detailed descriptions, hundreds of
thousands of plant photographs, sun, water, soil, and site
requirements, gardening information, and nursery
availability.
http://calscape.cnps.org
Calscape
Visit http://calscape.cnps.org
Enter your address, city or zip code
Or search for a
specific plant
Generates various lists of regionally appropriate plants
DETAILED
PLANT
PROFILES
Create a Calscape Account
Creating an account allows you to create a customizable „MY PLANTS‟
list, that you can access each time you log in to your account
http://calscape.cnps.org/user/register.php
to create your used ID and password
Once you log in, access
your list by clicking here
Add plants to
you list here
Gardening for Pollinators
It is important to plant flowers that bloom
successively over the spring, summer, and
fall seasons in order to provide pollen and
nectar resources to the native pollinators
CHECKLIST
 Have 10 different flowering plants that attract
pollinators
 Plant in groups so there is a mass of the same flower
(this is also an important design principle, WIN-WIN!)
 Have 3 different plants in bloom each season
REMEMBER
Native plant gardens provide urban corridors between
natural and agricultural areas. So with just a little
forethought and effort, you can bring nature into your
home garden and restore our environment!
“Say HELLO to my little friends!”
Coyote Mint
Monardella villosa
Photo credit: CNPS Sac Valley chp.
Photo credit: John Whittlesey.
Photo credit: John Whittlesey.
California Wild Lilac
Ceanothus spp.
Photo credit: John Whittlesey.
Cleveland Sage
Salvia clevelandii
Photo credits: John Whittlesey.
Milkweed
Asclepias spp.
Photo credit: John Whittlesey.
Oregon Grape
Mahonia “Golden Abundance”
Mahonia fruit is a food
source for birds
Photo credit: John Whittlesey.
WHY POLLINATORS?
THE SIMPLE TRUTH…We can’t live without them!
Some facts from USDA Forest Service
“Pollination is not just fascinating natural history. It is an essential
ecological survival function. Without pollinators, the human race
and all of earth‟s terrestrial ecosystems would not survive. Of the
1,400 crop plants grown around the world, i.e., those that
produce all of our food and plant-based industrial products,
almost 80% require pollination by animals.”
• More than half of the world‟s diet of fats and oils
come from animal-pollinated plants (palm oil, canola
oil, sunflowers, etc.).
• More than 150 food crops in the U.S. depend on
pollinators, including almost all fruit and grain crops.
• The USDA estimated that crops dependent on
pollination are worth more than $10 billion per year.
Globally, that number increases to $3 trillion per year.
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/importance.shtml
Installing Your New Landscape
 How to pick
healthy plants
 How to plant well
 Wildflowers in the
garden
How to pick healthy plants
Consider:
 Roots
 Stem
 Leaves
 Life Cycle
Your local CNPS chapter is a great resource
for incorporating the right native plants into
your home landscape. Most chapters have
seasonal native plant sales, specific to their
respective regions.
How to plant
Prepare
 Consider season, size and space needs of plants, and weather
 Water the garden soil the day before planting, water the potted
plant well several hours before planting
Plant
 Dig a hole as deep as the soil depth of the container, but wider
than the pot
 Shake off excess potting soil, unwind and stretch out pot-bound
roots
 Place the plant so that the collar is at or slightly above the soil
surface
 Use surrounding soil to fill the hole; gently but firmly pat down soil
Finish
 Create a berm, spread mulch
 Water by hand - it‟s important to strike the delicate balance of
soaking the soil right away, without over-saturating
Wildflowers in the garden
Wildflowers can
serve as a great
solution for a young,
sparse garden.
These fast-growing,
short-lived
perennials are
perfect between
young, long-term
plants; they will fill
the space and
provide a springtime
burst of color
without threatening
the establishing
garden as planned.
Prepare
 Purchase seeds from reputable
growers
 ½ ounce of seed for 25 square feet
 Water newly exposed garden beds
 Rough the soil surface with a rake, or
sprinkle a light layer of course gravel
Plant
 Sow over several weeks
 For fine seeds, cut with sand or
sawdust, or sprinkle from a kitchen
spice shaker for even distribution
Finish
 Rake the surface very gently
 Apply a light layer of mulch
 Water with a fine mist; keep beds
moist while seeds germinate
Tips for Growing Wildflowers
 Sow some wildflower seeds in pots to help with
seedling identification
 If weeds or insects are decimating the seedlings, seeds
grown in pots or flats can be transplanted at about 4
inches
 Remove wildflowers and weeds that crown new
perennial plantings
 Deadhead (remove spent flowers) to extend the
bloom period
 Collect seeds in late spring to summer for next year;
store seeds in a cool, dry location
 For aesthetic purposes, remove spent annuals at the
end of their season
 For wildflowers to reseed the following spring, do not
water during summer; seeds will rot in hot, wet soil
Maintaining your garden
 Establishment
 Watering
 Mulching
 Pruning
 What to expect
Establishment
Established means that the plant has adjusted to your garden.
● Happens 1-3 years after planting
● Roots extend beyond original root ball into surrounding soil
● About 3x bigger than when you got them
● Trees and shrubs usually take longer than perennials.
Established
plants need
less attention,
and less
frequent (but
thorough)
watering.
Watering (new vs. established)
 Water thoroughly
 Soil in and around the planting hole should get wet several
inches down
 Soil should become moderately dry between watering – or
the roots are prone to rot
 Once plant is established, increase interval between
waterings. Mediterranean plants are adapted to winter
rainfall and summer drought.
Water like you are Mother Nature!
 What to do about wilted plants?
Possible causes: Salt, frost, root disease, rodents, girdled roots.
Solutions: check the soil where the roots are. If it is dry, water.
If it is moist, do not water. Cut back the plant and hope - the
plant is probably suffering from root rot.
Mulching
 Organic mulch: woodchips, garden debris, shredded
leaves, bark
 Best for woodland and riparian gardens where soils
naturally have more organic debris.
 Inorganic mulch: decomposed granite, pebbles,
rocks, boulders
 Best for chaparral and desert gardens, plants
adapted to lean soils
When mulching…
 Use much 3-4
inches deep
 Keep away
from the crown
of the plant
 Irrigate carefully
What to expect
 Pruning: Most trees and shrubs may be pruned right after
flowering, unless you want to preserve the fruits for decoration or
to attract wildlife.
 Remove no more than 10 – 25% of live foliage at a time. Prune
young trees to establish good structure.
 Observe your plants: Each “failure” is an opportunity to learn.
 Three strikes, you're out. Any plant that does not succeed in
three tries is not meant to be in your garden
 Pruning needs are minimal with natives!
Design Inspirations
Tip: Use rocks and
boulders to anchor
the landscape, and
provide dimension
and texture to the
design
Plant palette features
Pozo Blue Sage (Salvia “Pozo Blue”)
Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens)
Bush Monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus)
Coast Sunflower (Encelia californica)
Uvas Canyon Fuchsia (Zauschneria californica „Uvas Canyon‟)
Designed by California‟s Own Native Landscape Design, Inc
Photo Credit: James Soe Nyun
Design Inspirations
Use reclaimed and salvaged materials
Design Inspirations
Contrasting
color
and
for year-round interest
Photo Credit: James Soe Nyun
Photo Credit: James Soe Nyun
Photo Credit: Pete Veilleux
Artemisia californica Photo Credit: Pete Veilleux
(“Canyon Gray” Coastal
Sage) and
Eriogonum grande var.
rubescens (Coastal Rose)
Poppies, Irises, Idaho
Fescue, Birds-eye Gillias,
Deergrass and Clarkias
Photo Credit: Pete Veilleux
Photo Credit: Pete Veilleux
Design Inspirations
Gray Foliage Natives
Gray foliage natives are a striking addition to any garden.
Use them to light up a dark corner or a shady spot under a
tree, or place them next to dark green or maroon plants for
an eye-catching contrast.
Eriogonum giganteum- Provides a beautiful
Eriogonum crocatum
contrast with it‟s gray foliage that is topped with
white lacy blooms that turn reddish brown in fall
Artemesia californica „Canyon Gray‟
Arctostaphylos glauca
Photo Credits:
Pete Veilleux
East Bay Wilds
Festuca california
Design Inspirations
Show off unique branching structures
and bark textures
Calscape 2009
Photo Credit Pete Veilleux
Manzanita (Arctostaphylus spp.)
Madrone (Arbutus spp.)
Ironwood (Lyonothamnus spp.)
Dogwood (Cornus spp.)
Design Inspirations
Design Principles
Grouping: Plant in drifts to lead the eye through the garden or group the same
plant in groups of odd numbers…3, 5, 7,9…this creates a sense of balance and
unity in the design
Structure: Provide a structural backbone to your garden year-round by using
foundation plants such as conifers and broadleaf evergreens
Focal Points: Identify focal point locations - view points from areas you and guests
frequent such as a dining area, patio, living room, etc., and place a specimen tree
or water feature in that view to create a point of interest and pull your eye out into
the landscape.
Simplicity: Try to avoid “one of this one of that” - this is for both color and plants.
Select a theme for your design with 4 main colors, select amount of varying spp.,
and use them throughout the design…not to the point of monotony, but remember
to step back and refine.
Design Inspirations
Foundation plants
Simple color palette
Planting in Drifts
Photo credits: James Soe Nyun, Pete Veilleux
THANK YOU
and
HAPPY GARDENING!
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR
CONTRIBUTORS
Barbara Eisenstein www.weedingwildsuburbia.com
Charlotte Torgovitsky www.homegroundhabitatnursery.org
John Whittlesey www.canyoncreeknurserydesign.com
Jeffrey f. Gamboni JFGLA.COM
CNPS Sacramento Valley Chapter www.sacvalleycnps.org
Ted and Colene Rauh
Chris Lopez and Rodger Sargent, www.growwater.org
Photo Contributions
Thank you to Pete Veilleux East Bay Wilds, Phillip Roullard,
Peyton Ellas and James Soe Nyun for capturing the
beauty of California native plants.