How I replaced my lawn with truly California Native plants to save water and create a habitat for birds, bees, and butterflies. I also include a discussion on maintenance.
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Lawn Gone and Loving It!
1. Lawn Gone and Loving It!
One Homeowner’s Guide to Lawn
Replacement
Kathy Sturdevant
2. Outline
• Background
• What is Native?
• Goal
• Process
• Some Costs
• Plant Sources
• Maintenance
• Lessons Learned
• References
• Other Garden Styles
3. Background
• Math, computer science
• Basic gardening experience
• Girl Scouts: backpacking, camping, hiking
• Inspired by Theodore Payne Foundation’s
annual garden tour
• Previously unaware of the disconnect between
nature and what we plant in our gardens
4. What is Native?
Drought Tolerant versus Native
• Def native: grew here prior to European
contact
• Drought Tolerant
• Mediterranean
• Australia
• California
• E.g. Rosemary, Rockrose, Lavender, …
Native
Mediterranean
5. Motivation
• Ecology
• Habitat
• Use Less Water
• Did not try to save money
– Although…Santa Monica experimental gardens
show that native gardens save money on water
and maintenance
9. Pre-Design Considerations
• Existing plants
• Soil drainage test
• Shade analysis
• How you will use the space?
• Any problem areas?
• Constraints
• Neighbors
• Views
10. The Reality
• Budget? What’s that?
• Kill lawn THEN take design class
• Get stuck on plant selection for 6 months
– Diversity of information on plant sizes
• Hire designer Greg Rubin to rescue me
• Replaced front porch midway
11. My Design Process
• Locate trees
• Evergreen foundation
• Vibrant green next to the house
• Gray green plants as accents
• Plant in groupings
• Some specimen plants
• Pathways (mail carrier)
• Inconspicuous deciduous plants
• Low plants in the front, taller toward the back and left
side
• Simple parkway (dog traffic, city eugenia trees)
21. Planting
• Plant ½ - 1” high; water
drains off root crown
• Basin to hold water
• 3-4” shredded redwood
mulch
• Lots of water first day
• Big rocks (optional)
22. Where did I get plants?
• Theodore Payne Foundation
• Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
• Las Pilitas Nursery, Escondido (Closing)
• Las Pilitas Nursery, Santa Margarita (mail order)
• Tarweed Nursery, Glendale
• CNPS Annual Plant Sale
• Native plant friend
• Larner’s Seeds (mail order)
23. Cost Estimates
• Mow Strip
– $700
• Flagstone Patio 10 x 12 ft
– $2800
• Irrigation $3-5K
– $1300 - $1800 per valve circuit
• Dry Stream
– $75-125 per linear foot
• Plants
– Avg. $9 per 1 gallon
42. Maintenance: Water
• Water once every 10 days, non-rainy
season
– Goal: ¼” precipitation, penetrate mulch
• Avoid soaking soil during heat waves
– Water before and/or after
– Water with cloud cover
– Light mist on leaves at end of scorch day
• Obtained city watering exemption
– Demonstrated low water usage
– Goal: flexible watering schedule < 1 per
week on the day of my choosing
Note: replacement plants are hand watered 1-2 x per week until established;
trees are deep watered periodically.
43. Maintenance - Year 1
• Clean birdbath
• Weed
• Clear leaves from plant basins
• Pull back the mulch
• Wind damage
44. Maintenance - Year 2
• Clean birdbath
• Weed
• Clear leaves from basins
• Pull back the mulch
• Wind damage
• Wildflowers look messy when going to seed
• Replace an occasional dead plant
• Pick up (mostly neighbor’s) leaves
45. Maintenance - Year 3
• Clean birdbath
• Weed
• Clear leaves from plant basins
• Pull back the mulch
• Messy wildflowers
• Replace dead plant(s)
• Pick up leaves
• Prune to shape plants
46. Maintenance - Now
• Clean birdbath
• Weed
• Keep sprinklers clear
• Dead head: buckwheat, etc
• Replace monkeyflowers
• Replace dead plants
• Wildflowers look messy when going to seed
• Prune each type of plant 1-2 times per year
• Thin overcrowded plants
• Argentine ant abatement
Plan for monthly maintenance– which is less than a traditional landscape
47. Maintenance: Pruning
• Avoid overcrowding to
minimize pruning
• Sterilize pruners, e.g. 10%
alcohol solution
• Sterilize between plants
• Be especially careful of
ceanothus and manzanita
• Seal branches thicker than
a pencil
49. Ant Abatement
Address Ants Before You Plant
Boric Acid
Desperate Measures
Indoxacarb
Spot Treatment to
save infested plants
50. Recommendations
• Use Native Plant Landscaper
• Take the time to design
• Design to compliment your home
• Don’t work in a bubble
– get to know other native gardeners
– stay in touch with your native landscape professional
(additional cost)
• Expect change: grow, thrive, or die
• Design with maintenance in mind
51. Lessons Learned
• Mow strip was a great idea
• Too many plants
• Shorter varieties
• Need irrigation modifications
(risers)
• Argentine ants are evil; start
abatement sooner than later
52. Rebate?
• My installation was in 2010, pre-rebate
• If you can get a rebate, GREAT!
• Before you start, have all your “ducks” in
a row, as your time is limited.
• Know the rules
• Don’t feel bad if no rebate--more
flexibility without it, e.g. native grass
lawns
55. See Other Gardens
• Look at TPF Garden Tour
website photos
– theodorepayne.org
– nativeplantgardentour.org
• CNPS San Diego Garden Tour
• CNPS Orange County Garden
Tour
The terms are used interchangeably but they are not the same
Add pictures: lilac verbena and lavender
This is just one style
Natives can be used in a wide variety of styles natural, modern, formal. Japanese
Need cleaner lines? Use a simpler palette and plant in rows or geometric layout– samples later
Inspired by garden tour; Knew I wanted to do it, but when? Then I painted my house– and it was time.
Notice the tired, old porch
Tough to decide to kill living things: soft spot for tired, old plants
Invasive chinese tallow trees
Non-native giant juniper
Design really opened up once I decided to remove these existing plants and accept the wasted money on the 24” boxed invasive trees
Vibrant green as opposed to gray green– gray green away from house as accents
Vibrant green as opposed to gray green– gray green away from house as accents
Normally, you don’t need/want to till the soil.
My yard was very uneven with large mounds, dips, and sloped toward the house.
Very low volume; comparable to drip
Different length streams for better coverage
I am using flags on new plants to help me remember to water them
