Published on: September 4, 2016
Advice from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa County
Zombie Lawns
I live in a wonderful neighborhood of modest homes in Richmond, now filled with zombie lawns. The effectiveness of East Bay Utility District's (EBMUD) water ;conservation campaign, originally mandatory, but now voluntary, is everywhere to be seen: dead lawns have become a badge of honor. My neighbors have taken to heart EBMUD's call to cut back on water for landscape irrigation, letting their front lawns die.
While I can't reproach my neighbors for conserving water, nothing makes a home look more derelict than a weedy front yard and most of the lawns have now turned into just that—dead weeds. EBMUD and Contra Costa Water District offer rebates for lawn conversions (see below) and both have created websites with inspirational before-and-after photos of lawn conversions. But few of my neighbors have taken the next step and converted their zombie lawns into small, water-conserving gardens. It may seem too daunting and expensive. Or, perhaps they are simply waiting for the rains to return and revive these zombies. Sometimes as I drive through the neighborhood, I imagine how transformed the streets would look, planted with beautiful, vibrant, drought-tolerant gardens.
Next Saturday, September 10th from 10:00 AM to 3:00 at Our Garden in Walnut Creek, Master Gardeners of Contra Costa will host a “Get Dry Plant Sale and Workshops” to encourage more county residents to plant gardens that conserve water. There will not only be hundreds of low-cost, water-conserving plants, native and non-native, on sale, but Master Gardeners will also offer “how to lose your lawn” and “efficient and $$$-wise irrigation” workshops to teach people exactly what they need to do to get rid of that zombie lawn and plant the new, drought-tolerant plants they have just purchased.
Click on http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/drythenewnormal/ for a schedule of all workshops and a complete list of plants on sale that day. Landscape designers will also provide free consultations to inspire you with new ideas about re-landscaping your gardens to conserve water, all of which will be a great support in taking that first step.
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For more information on rebates for replacing your lawn:
East Bay MUD service area (West and Central County):
http://www.ebmud.com/water-and-drought/conservation-and-rebates/residential/rebates/lawn-conversion-irrigation-upgrade-rebates/
Contra Costa Water District service area (Central and East County):
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For a wonderful guide to plants suitable to our climate, check out EBMUD's
Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates in the San Francisco Bay Region.
Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates in the San Francisco Bay Region.
http://www.ebmud.com/water-and-drought/conservation-and-rebates/watersmart-gardener/plants-and-landscapes-summer-dry-climates/
and/or the UC Davis Arboretum "All Stars" (primarily for the warmer Central and East County)
http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/arboretum_all_stars.aspx
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (LR)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).
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and/or the UC Davis Arboretum "All Stars" (primarily for the warmer Central and East County)
http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/arboretum_all_stars.aspx
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (LR)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).