Drought Tolerant Landscaping in Los Angeles

Low maintenance, hassle-free landscapes that can save you
money!

Low-maintenance landscaping has become a trend over the last 10 years, and it’s not slowing down. At Fernando’s Complete Landscape & Hardscape, we’ve specialized in drought tolerant landscaping for Los Angeles residents from the beginning.

Want to find out how we can transform your landscape space into a drought resistant paradise? Perfect! Grab the phone and call us today to schedule a free estimate!

Droughts can be massive in scale and last for unpredictable amounts of time. They can affect entire environments and can even cause species to die out. It goes without saying that the economy suffers as well from such catastrophes. In recent years we have experienced more intense droughts, with significant consequences, especially in the Southwestern United States. This is a trend that will continue to increase: more areas of the planet will start experiencing droughts, whereas others will suffer from more devastating ones. Perhaps in 2017, we will finally come to agree that climate change affects every individual, and each of us has a part to play in the outcome. Since we humans produced this change (which may already be out of our control), it is up to us to try and do our part in diminishing it.

Anyone who has even the slightest interest in landscaping can do their part in protecting the environment and reducing the impact on climate change. One of the most valuable commodities of our future will be water, so it follows that we must become more and more conservative in how we use it. If you live in an area where droughts are frequent, you might want to rethink your entire yard. A lawn, for example, can be extremely costly to maintain in terms of water. Somewhere between 30 to 60 percent of urban fresh water is used on lawns annually in the US, according to the EPA. Getting rid of it might seem like the end of days for some, but the alternatives aren’t bad at all. Regardless of having a lawn or not, there are multiple ways to landscape in drought-intensive areas.

As the environment reacts to our actions, we too can use it towards our advantage. Give some thought to the idea of native landscaping, for example. What this means is that you pick the species of plants that prosper and benefit most from the climate you live in. Don’t worry – no matter the type of environment you plan to do your landscaping in, the number of plants available to work with will always be huge. At first, this might seem a difficult thing to achieve, as getting used to new plants isn’t easy, but you will find that in due time, it will actually become easier for you to maintain a beautiful garden or yard. This is self-explanatory, really: plants thrive in their original environment. There is no shortage of beautiful flowers that do well in arid areas. Some examples would be purple top vervain (Verbena bonariensis), lavender or African iris (Dietes iridoids).

However, if you’re serious about an environmentally-friendly and drought tolerant landscape, one of the essential factors is the soil. Here, mulch and compost will be your top priorities. Mulch helps retain moisture, for one, as well as decreasing the chances of your plants’ water being stolen by weeds. Organic mulch is usually the best way to go, but even here you have a lot of options – from leaves and grass clippings to bark or wood chip mulch. The right one for your landscaping project will, of course, be determined by the plants you wish to use. If applied over a layer of good compost, the beneficial effect it has will become greater. Overall, the watering needs of your plants will decrease significantly. As many landscaping enthusiasts know, the hardest period is the one up until the plants become established. Once there, you’ll have a much easier time in working with them.

Irrigation is also important, especially when considering drought. A lot of water can get wasted due to evaporation in arid climates. Improper watering schedules have no place here. Try for example to time your irrigation system in such a manner that it provides most of the water during overnight hours, or in the evening. Thus, more of it will reach the plants instead of evaporating in the hot sun. If you haven’t already, you should look into what is called drip irrigation. In short, this is a system which runs underneath a layer of ground (or mulch) and gradually provides water to the roots of plants, in a much slower manner than traditional methods. The best example of how this is the ultimate water-saving method is the state of Israel: having to deal with extremely low water resources, Israelis are literally turning a desert into a green landscape and a mineral-rich soil where vegetables and fruit trees can grow and thrive. If an entire country’s landscape can be changed so drastically, surely you can succeed as well with your property.

When looking into landscaping that is more tolerant to drought, there is a large number of reasons to consider. Start simple – decide how far you want to take it, and how much effort you are willing to put into it. Expand from there with decisions involving what species of plants you wish to use, and how the irrigation system will be managed. But don’t forget that all these should fall within the common sense limits of protecting the environment, and act accordingly.

Other Services:

• Concrete Contractor
• Tree Trimming
• Sprinkler Installation
• Yard Clean Up