| ...Lawns...
Most people don't stop to wonder exactly why this turf became
so popular. Widespread in England, lawns were brought over to
the East Coast and were considered a status symbol. The bigger
the sweeping lawn the better, and if you were fortunate enough
to have a family with children, your lawn was functional as
well. Moving West, people brought the lawn ethic with them;
unfortunately the West didn't have the required rainy climate
like the East or England.
Residents in this
area live in a Mediterranean climate, typified by wet winters
and dry summers. During the lengthy dry season, lawns require
frequent watering due to their shallow roots. Not completely
inappropriate, they do have their place in our neighborhoods.
But their size, and even the desirability of having one, should
be examined by homeowners. Owen Dell, landscape contractor,
emphasizes that the cost of watering a lawn has escalated:
"Water used to be cheap, and it's not now."
Dell is intimately
involved with drought awareness. He has been a landscape contractor
for over 18 years and owns County Landscape and Supply. He
gets excited when asked about the possibilities for xeriscape,
his favored term, meaning water conservation through creative
landscaping.
Dell's credits
are more than impressive, they are an inspiration. He transformed
Montecito's ARCO Conference Center from sucking up an excessive
4,500 to 6,500 units of water per year to using a reasonable
1,500 annual units. The primary reduction came from replacing
about 66% of the water-thirsty lawn of approximately 60,000
square feet with xeriscape landscaping.
Another local
advocate of drought-tolerant planting is Carol Bornstein,
director of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. She believes
it's time for people to reconsider the appearance of their
property. "The Green Movement has generated this theme of
better living within constraints. The limitations of water
availability have woken up property owners," she says.
Bornstein invites
everyone to "come to the [Botanic] Garden and just stroll
around." The various native species there may stimulate ideas
for personal garden plans. The gift shop supplies a list of
references for drought tolerant landscaping; from a complete
bibliography on horticulture to informational bulletins on
a variety of topics such as mixed perennial borders, ornamental
grasses and what to plant under native oaks. The Botanic Garden
also offers ongoing classes such as "How to Landscape Your
Garden."
It seems that
continuing drought conditions would be incentive enough to
lighten the heavy load on water use. Now is the time to act
accordingly - to plan ahead for both short and long-range
landscapes. With the wide diversity in xeriscape options,
creative solutions exist for appropriate and pleasing gardens.
And if Mother Nature can dictate a change in our habits, drought-tolerant
landscapes just might become a way of life in Montecito.
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