The Santa Clara Valley Water District offers a rebate if you replace some or all of your lawn with drought saving native plants. We realize that it may be hard to know where to start when thinking about what plants to use instead of the turf.
California native plants and grasses are ideal because not only do they save water, but they also foster indigenous pollinators and birds while requiring less maintenance, fertilizers, and chemicals. And Fall is a great time to plant. But a poorly designed native garden can look a little “rugged” and learning about native plants can be daunting at first. Jump-start your project by using a professional to design a native garden. Here are some resources to help you:
The Gardening with Natives group of the California Native Plant Society. Their web site has a wealth of information on native plants, where to buy them, and professionals who design and install native gardens.
The California Native Plant Society will have its next native plant sale on October 15th at Hidden Villa, beginning at 10:00am.
Yerba Buena nursery on Skyline Drive is a great place to visit to get ideas. They also offer a 4-hour design package with some of the fee credited toward plant purchases.
The Bay Area Water Supply & Conversation Agency (BAWSCA) offers a great tool on their website for viewing native plants.
The UC Cooperative Extension has a list of native grasses.
The UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars are all drought tolerant, but not necessarily native.
