California is heading into its fifth year of drought. At the close of 2015, many climate experts were talking about a “Godzilla” El Niño warming current in the Pacific that was expected to funnel storms into Southern California in particular, and the West Coast in general. While Northern California has been hit by strong storms, the southern half of the state is way behind average in rainfall. All this goes to prove that the only thing we can count on in California is drought. (And we’ll be right most of the time). Lush landscapes mirroring English gardens and vast lawns that are never trod upon except to mow are harder and harder to justify.
Homeowners are faced with a confusing number of options about how to have a beautiful landscape that uses less water and many are turning to California native plants as the obvious answer. This is wonderful news, but there remain many misconceptions about how to cultivate a native garden. Even basic terminology, like plants from a “mediterranean climate” can be confusing. (Saxon Holt, a professional landscape photographer is championing the term “summer-dry” to help clarify the matter.)
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