Thirsty-Free Garden

If you're not aware of our dry, Southern California drought, then you've been living under a rock. Since February 2014, Long Beach has taken action in restricting and conserving water from public entities to residential households. While shorter showers and scheduled grass-waterings have been the norm for a lot of Long Beach locals, there are many other options available outside of just cutting back. 

When it comes to your yard, the greener the better. The greenest lawn on the neighborhood gets you prettiest grass award, but how do you keep that up during a drought and hot California heatwaves? Below, are 3 alternative plant options from Better Homes and Gardens "The Best Drought-Tollerant Perennials" that require little to no water to stay alive:

Blanket Flowers [Photo by BHG.com]
These flowers provide a long-season bloom and attract butterflies.

Agastache [Photo by BHG.com]
Pictured above, the 'Desert Sunrise' variety lasts through summer and into autumn.

Sedum [Photo by BHG.com]
The Sedum has leaf succulents, which retain water making these flowering-plants ideal for drought weather.

Besides being pretty to look at, these options are very drought-friendly and can even save some money over time.

While saving money, residents could also be making money. The Long Beach Water Department rewards those that switch from traditional grass turf to garden landscape. The Lawn-To-Garden program offers $3,500 to households looking to switch their grass for garden. According to the Long Beach Water Department, “With a drought tolerant landscape, you can save four times the amount of water needed for a grass lawn.”

[Video by Long Beach Water Department YouTube]

Above, Long Beach households that voluntarily changed their yard for this incentives program were featured in this video in 2011. They give insight as to why and how the lawn-to-garden change has worked for them. 

Conserving water doesn’t mean your plants have to suffer. Recognizing the environment and preserving resources is key to getting through this drought for both you, and your plants.