It has finally happened! In 2013 we had the lowest amount of rainfall here in California in recorded history according to statistics from the National Weather Service. But Alas! This situation can be viewed as a wake up call for all of us who have gotten lackadaisical about our conservation efforts (admittedly, myself included!). As we all know by now it is crucial that we all increase our efforts to conserve water. We do this by preserving the little water we do get through water catchment systems to either re-use for other purposes (like for plants!) or by directing it back into the ground to refill our aquifers as opposed to letting it run off into the sewer and ocean. At our home we are currently learning how to revert used water from our clothes washer to irrigate our plants outside.
I will be recording our progress with pictures and descriptions on how we did it so that others may follow. Please feel free to call me at any time to ask questions about this or any other inquiry you may have!
Although I have always encouraged and used drought tolerant plants as the foundation of my designs, I am now going to more ardently encourage the use of water saving ideas and/or features and integrate them into the landscape. My hope is that the end result will please the client by fulfilling their wishes for beauty, functionality and interest while creating a sense of pride as a contributor to the water conservation effort!
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