What is a Drought Tolerant Garden?

Southern California is known for its nearly year-round perfect weather. That means clear skies, lots of sun, and very, VERY little rainfall- except this week! Since our local fresh water supply is not being replenished, most of the fresh water used by Southern California has to be brought in from other places. It is an expensive process, and we still risk running out of water. At least half of Los Angeles County’s available drinking water is used to irrigate our lawns. That is why more and more Californians are choosing to replace their water-thirsty lawns with low-maintenance, Drought Tolerant gardens. 

A Drought Tolerant garden is one that requires no irrigation because the plants get by on rainfall alone. Yes, even in a dry location like Southern California, drought tolerant plants still survive and thrive, and creating a beautiful, drought tolerant, garden is easy- it just takes a little planning. This involves cleaning the garden- removing any trash, weeds, dead plants, that old husk of a pickup truck in the front yard. (C’mon. It’s time to let go.) If you already have drought tolerant plants, you may choose to keep them, but everything else should be removed. Determine what type of soil you have and how it captures and directs rainfall so that you can use this to your advantage when planning your garden. A smart layout will allow your garden to thrive. Put in the time now to properly plan and tend to your garden, and you will reap the benefits. Not only do drought tolerant gardens save time, money, and water, but they can help increase the value of your home!

When searching for plants for your drought tolerant garden, look for ones with stiff, leathery leaves, silvery or hairy leaves, tiny little leaves, and solar tracking leaves (leaves that tilt in the sun’s direction throughout the day), as these are all good indicators of a drought tolerant plant.

On a personal note, we replaced our back yard with turf a few years ago. It created another "room" for our family – especially because 3/4 of us play soccer year round. We entertain a lot more because of it. We are working on a family project on our side yard and parkway and experimenting with succulants and California natives and dry-scape. I have started to propagate new plants from cuttings to keep the cost down. (free!) For more tips on preparing your home for sale, download my Free L.A. Seller’s Guide.

Los Angeles County has published a fantastic guide to starting and maintaining a drought tolerant garden. Contact me for a downloadable PDF!