Lush, Colorful, and Water-wise: An Impossible Dream?

A water-wise landscape goal + inland Southern California + blistering summers = cactus + dry, scrubby, uninteresting vegetation + large expanses of bare ground + little shade. To many people, this equation seems an unavoidable and foregone conclusion that deters them from taking the leap to a drought-tolerant and water-wise garden. Fortunately, this is not always the case, and we are happy to share our success story of a lush, colorful, and water-wise garden that stops passing motorists and pedestrians in their tracks.

We  live in the city of Riverside, in the heart of the Inland Empire region of Southern California, roughly halfway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Decreasing water supplies, an average rain- fall of 10.22 inches, and average highs well over 90°F in summer provide strong incentives to plant thoughtful, drought-tolerant gardens.

In September 2010, we began the transformation of a tired, water-hungry, turf-dominated front yard to an award-winning garden that provides us with water savings, shade, and beauty. The existing turf of Bermuda grass was sad; large expanses of dry sod, due to an antiquated sprinkler system, prompted our decision to research opt...