Gardeners Struggle to Adapt to Drought

Los Angeles Times. December 11, 2014. By Esmerelda Bermudez: Wet weather kept Alberto Ortega from working most of last week — and he couldn’t have been more pleased.

“This rain is a blessing I was beginning to think I’d never see,” the gardener said.

In four decades of tending people’s yards, this year has been Ortega’s roughest: Clients put off landscaping projects, scaled back his duties or simply let their yards go altogether, costing him thousands of dollars.

Landscaping in a Time of Drought

InsideHook. September 19, 2014. By Reuben Brody: Newsflash: we’re in a drought. You’ve probably heard. Here’s another newsflash: as long as SoCal imports its water, we’ll always have supply issues. Always. Especially when 40-60% of it goes to keeping non-native lawns lush.

So in the spirit of doing ourselves and our progeny a solid, we bring youLandscaping in the Time of Drought, a guide to maintaining a stunning, waterwise lawn.

Water-Wise Fall Planting

Los Angeles Times, September 12, 2014. By Lisa Boone: How to tackle fall planting in Southern California during the third straight year of drought and the diminishing likelihood of El Niño storms this winter? At the very least, Los Angeles gardening experts agree that planting in the fall is water-wise as new plants require less irrigation due to the cooler weather and will be well established by next summer. Here, we share their tips for fall.