Houghton Design Group

California’s endless sunshine and mild Mediterranean climate is a gardener’s paradise, but, if you would rather be boating or sailing than watering your thirsty tropical oasis it might be time to consider a drought tolerant plant palette.

Although saving money on your water bill is a significant benefit of using drought tolerant plants, there are other more important reasons. Almost half of household water in Southern California is used in the landscape, amounting to approximately 235 gallons per family of four daily. When you consider that this excessive amount of over-watering exceeds our modest 10-15 inches of annual precipitation it’s not surprising that mandatory water-conservation programs and zoning ordinances place significant restraints on landscape irrigation. Our lush landscapes come with a hefty price. Over-watering them has also impacted the amount of pesticides and fertilizers, which run into our rivers, streams and our ocean.

The old image of the water-efficient landscape as a barren, sterile pile of rocks dotted with a few cacti and driftwood has finally been laid to rest. Today, these low water use beach-loving plants will knock off your gardening clogs with their performance and longevity.

Before you dash off to you favorite garden center, however, a little homework is required. Whether your home is Traditional or Modern, Craftsman or condo, the first step of your garden make over begins with an assessment of the opportunities and challenges of the site. Either draw a scaled sketch of the space you want to redesign or make notes. Is your site sunny or shady, large or small, sloped or flat? A thoughtful analysis should examine both the broad regional climatic patterns as well as the intricate details of the proposed garden area.

Once you have determined the overall dimensions and noted the wind and sun patterns ask yourself how you would like the plants to perform. Do you need to highlight a wall or hide it? Do you want a border around the patio or do you need something to cover a trellis or arbor?

If your plant wish list includes drought tolerant ground covers consider the succulents called Sedums.  My favorite is Sedum spathulifolium‘Purpureum’. Spoon-shaped ½-1 inch blue-green leaves tinged with reddish purple are packed into rosettes on short, trailing stems. This durable California native is stunning near blue Agaves. Other great ground covers include Rosea ice plant, Dymondia, dwarf Yarrows, Beach Strawberries and Rockrose.

If you need some drama in your garden or a focal point have a look at today’s Agaves which offer blue, green, yellow, or variegated agaves. Although most Agaves are round and spiny there are some look like squids and others that resemble an octopus—perfect for the beach garden.

A few other noteworthy drought tolerant shrubs and perennials include California Lilac, Lavender, Sage, Salvia, Penstemon, Dwarf Coyote Bush, Red Yucca, Seaside Daisy, and an extensive selection of grasses.

Two more guidelines then you’re all set to go. First, leave enough room around each plant for future growth. Second, use an organic mulch to conserve moisture in the soil and reduce weeding. Less water and less weeding means more time for sailing.

Salsa-hot red and fiery-orange flowers in the garden evoked a chorus of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from my guests until they noticed the tall spires of sapphire blue Salvia against the coffee-colored trellis and a throaty ‘mmmmm’ was heard in unison.

 Color in the garden always elicits the greatest response and when used effectively is a powerful design tool.

 To begin, let’s chat about what color really is. We see color when light waves of specific lengths are reflected or absorbed by pigments. For example, the salsa- hot red flowers appear red because its pigments absorb all wavelengths except red. The green of its foliage, produced by chlorophyll, absorbs all light waves except green. White flowers, however, appear white not because of pigmentation, but because of tiny air spaces in the tissues that refract and reflect all light waves.

 Like an artist weaving colors into a tapestry, you can create painterly compositions based on a few simple guidelines having to do with the interrelationships of colors and the effects and moods created by using different color combinations.

 Most of us remember the color wheel with the six main colors arranged as slices or sections of a circle. The three primary colors are red, yellow and blue. Combine these and you get the colors in between—the secondary colors. So red and yellow make orange, yellow and blue make green, and blue and red make purple. Add black to these important six and you have “shades”. Add white to them and you have “tints” which include the popular pastels.

 Choosing a color scheme for you garden is purely a personal affair. No designing   rules govern your choice, but the connection between your garden and the interior and exterior of your house will be reinforced if you select from a common range of color.

 The predominant color theme in the garden should be influenced by your house color: your color choices should complement rather than distract.

 The effects of color in an outdoor room or garden space are the same effects you can achieve indoors. Warm colors, such as red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange and yellow impart feelings of warmth, passion, excitement and fun—perfect for parties but not so perfect if you are trying to read a book or take a nap on the new chaise.

 These calypso colors also appear closer than they really are and are the perfect design tool for drawing the eye away from something unsightly or toward something new and exciting such as a new fountain. Warm, vibrant colors are like exclamation marks in the garden—they make a statement and, their use is not limited to plants. Consider using these bold colors for concrete paving or stucco garden walls.

 Cool colors, such as green, blue-green, blue, blue-violent and violet evoke feelings of tranquility and are perfect choices for those gardeners trying to create a quiet restful place to read a book.

 Although all cool colors tend to recede or seem farther away than they really are the color blue waves the biggest magic wand in the garden. In my friend’s courtyard garden, for example, violet blue salvia and sky blue ceanothus melt the horizon and make the small space feel much larger.

 White, silver or gray also play an important role in the garden. These colors are the perfect peacemakers between bold color combinations and when used sparingly will also intensify any other color. Or, if you are the romantic type, there are few garden compositions as memorable as an all-white garden under the moonlit summer sky.

 Once you have selected a color scheme there’s only one more design criterion to consider and that is bloom time. To create a sequence of color select from early, mid-and late-season perennials, shrubs, trees and vines from your favorite nursery or garden center. Then find a comfy chair and watch the parade of seasonal color and drama unfold…mmmmm.

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