A short drive around Chico will reveal that lawn is a prominent landscape feature for the majority of homes. Yet we seldom see people outside using their front lawns. Maintaining a lawn just to view wastes time, energy, water and money. According to a 2011 study sponsored by the California Department of Water Resources (“California Single Family Water Use Efficiency Study”), the average household uses 360 gallons of water per day, around 50% of it outdoors. Replacing lawn with waterwise landscaping can reduce outdoor water use by 30-70%. In addition, lawns need mowing, fertilizing and weeding.

Most people enjoy watching birds and pollinators, but a lawn doesn't offer critters much in terms of food, shelter or a place to raise young. While a lush green lawn may be soothing, it's boring. A well-designed garden of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in a variety of colors, textures and elevations welcomes wildlife, provides visual interest, and distinguishes your yard from your neighbors'.

Start with hardscaping: walkways, gravel paths, small patios or decks, dry creek beds and retaining walls. These provide visual interest and reduce irrigated areas. Plan a pleasing and obvious walkway to your front door. You can edge it with intervals of plantings, in the ground or in urns. Meandering gravel paths provide a functional and low-cost way to move about the garden. A small patio invites you to relax. Dry creek beds and small retaining walls separate planting areas and provide elevation changes. You can also use an edging of stone or brick to separate planting areas.

Evergreen shrubs and trees give backbone and structure to your planting areas, and can offer the soothing color of a lawn. Choose trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials and groundcovers that vary in size, color and seasonal interest. Mass several of the same plant together or repeat it throughout the yard to create a sense of cohesion. Mixed textures and foliage provide contrast. Balance colorful focal points with gray or green plants. Place some elements so that they lead the eye from focal point to focal point; situate other features where they will provide a visual resting spot.

Plan for the size of the plants at maturity: don't plant them too close together. You want to avoid future crowding and having to remove plants that outgrow their spaces.

The New Sunset Western Garden Book and Calscape (California Native Plant Society's database of native plants) provide information about waterwise plants. If your yard will include automatic irrigation, group together plants with similar water needs.

The UC Cooperative Extension WUCOLS database estimates the water needs of thousands of garden plants and is a valuable tool for grouping plants into hydrozones.

Consider adding focal points. A water feature attracts birds to the garden. It can be as elaborate as a fountain or as simple as a ceramic dish. Large boulders also provide visual interest. A bench flanked by large pots of colorful flowering plants invites you to sit and enjoy your garden.

Mulching conserves moisture by reducing evaporation and controlling weeds. Choose organic mulch (shredded bark) or inorganic mulch (gravel or small rocks). Keep organic mulch a few inches away from the trunks of trees and plants. Excessive moisture trapped by mulch too close to the trunk can lead to fungal diseases in the plant. Inorganic mulch can itself become a design element, for example by using different sizes or colors of rocks in different areas.

Visit the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch (10381 Midway in Durham) to see a variety of gardens that are waterwise, interesting and beautiful without relying on areas of lawn. Our gardens are free to visit and are open whenever Patrick Ranch is open to the public.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us Hotline webpage.

By Alicia Springer, UC Master Gardener of Butte County, November 30, 2018

Four weeks ago, in this column we ran an article on rain swales (“Slow it, Spread it, Sink it”-- Creating a Rain Garden,” Nov. 2, 2018). A week after that, the Camp Fire made the idea of planning and planting a rain garden seem all too irrelevant. Now, with several full days of decent rain behind us, more rain in the forecast, and the Camp Fire declared 100% contained, we can start thinking again about how to practice effective water conservation in our own yards. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have gardens can make the most of the gift of rain.

Therefore, this week's Real Dirt is a list of appropriate plants for the kind of rain swale discussed in the previous article. It is far from an exhaustive list, but it provides a solid start for those beginning such a project. Because our region's climate of hot summers and (with luck) moist winters requires plantings that can withstand these extremes, most of the species suggested here are California natives adapted for those conditions. Species from other Mediterranean climates are also good bets. By design, a swale has different zones of moisture, from a soggy base to a dry upper bank, so the water requirements of countless species can be met (this is one reason why our list is by necessity incomplete).

Note that our merciless summers require additional irrigation for even drought-tolerant native plants while they are getting established. A spare but regular drip-irrigation line for the first two summers will improve survival rates.

Cool-season grasses and herbs to line a grassy swale or the banks of a rock creek:

• Sedges (Carex species) and rushes (Juncus species) for sun
• Yerba buena (Clinopidium douglasii) for part-shade

Deep-rooted, larger grasses to anchor:

• Deer grass (Muhlenbergia patens)
• Native fescues (Festuca californica, F. idahoensis, F. rubrica)
• Creeping wildrye (Leymus triticoides)

Perennials that tolerate winter moist, summer dry conditions:

• Douglas iris (Iris douglasii)
• California fuchsia (Epilobium canum)
• Prostrate manzanita (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
• Buckwheats (Eriogonum species)
• Fleabane daisies (Erigeron species)
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
• Common monkeyflower/aka sticky-monkey (Mimulus aurantiacus)
• Yellow monkeyflower/aka seep mimulus (Mimulus guttatus)
• California coneflower (Rudbeckia californica)
• Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) and other salvia species

Drought-tolerant ferns for shade

• Polypody fern (Polypodium californicum)
• Western sword fern (Polystichum munitum)
• Wood fern (Dryopteris arguta)

Shrubs and small trees for banks

• Hybrid rockrose (Cistus skanbergii)
• Barberry (Berberis aka Mahonia pinnata)
• Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)
• California coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica)
• Gooseberry (Ribes speciosum)
• Wood rose (Rosa gymnocarpa)
• St. Catherine's Lace (Eriogonum giganteum)
• Redbud (Cercis occidentalis)
• Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides)
• Red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea)
• Ceanothus species
• Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos species)

For more information on gardening in our area, visit the Butte County Master Gardener web page at: http://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/. If you have a gardening question or problem, call our Hotline at (530) 538-720l.

By Cindy Weiner, UC Master Gardener of Butte Count, November 16, 2018

One approach to dealing with drought conditions in the garden is to turn to native plants that are well-acclimated to our local environment. Some gardeners new to planting natives may be concerned that these plants might require special care, but in general they need not worry. While some natives can be difficult in the garden, most are not, and many are very easy to grow. Three local landscape designers specializing in native plants offer the following suggestions for “no fail natives.” In addition to being easy to care for, these particular plants give a threefold return on one's investment: they are attractive, versatile, and provide valuable support for wildlife in the garden.

Eve Werner, landscape architect and owner of Eve's Garden Design, likes to use coffeeberry (Frangula californica) as a screen, background or hedgerow. Its blackish berries resemble coffee beans and are very attractive to birds. This evergreen shrub can grow to six to ten feet tall and wide although the cultivar ‘Eve Case' is smaller, only reaching about five feet. It is native to Butte County and grows in Upper Bidwell Park. Werner says, “This adaptable plant thrives in full sun to shade with monthly to no summer irrigation.”

John Whittlesey, owner of Canyon Creek Nursery and Design, is a fan of Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii) for its “fragrant foliage, showy flowers that attract an array of pollinators, and extreme toughness for full sun and little water.” This woody perennial blooms in early summer with spikes of blue flowers in whorls around the stem. Whittlesey suggests planting them with the robust matillija poppy in larger gardens, or with the white-flowered native yarrow in smaller gardens. Cleveland sage grows three to five feet tall, although the cultivar ‘Winifred Gilman' is a little smaller.

Jason Mills, owner of Ecological Solutions, suggests, “If you're looking for an evergreen shrub, why not try giving the local and less commonly used hollyleaf redberry (Rhamnus ilicifolia) a shot?” Hollyleaf redberry has small serrated leaves, resembling holly. It grows best in full sun or partial shade. The flowers are small and inconspicuous but develop into beautiful red fruit, which provide food for birds. It grows five to ten feet tall and needs no summer water once established.

Both Werner and Whittlesey recommend California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), one of several species of buckwheat that are native to California. Werner says, “California buckwheat is an evergreen shrub with a whimsical, mopsy form, much like baby's breath on steroids. Its pom-pom-like flowers bloom white in summer and then age from dusky pink to deep russet.” Whittlesey likes growing it in a sunny dry border with California fuchsia, penstemon, yarrow, sages, flax and grasses. It attracts many native bees when blooming. California buckwheat grows to about 3 feet tall and wide and needs no summer water once established.

Mills and Whittlesey like using the large perennial bunch grass deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens). Whittlesey says, “I use deergrass to bring a rhythm and flow into a garden. When in flower in later summer, it has a stronger architectural form which holds through the winter months. It combines readily in front of larger shrubs or as a foil for small shrubs and perennials.” Deergrass forms a dense clump to 4 feet tall and wide in full sun or light shade.

Growing natives can be easy if you give careful consideration to the plant's cultural requirements. Mills states, “In the end it all comes down to putting the right plant in the right spot. We look to nature and try to match the conditions (substrate, moisture, light exposure) found in remaining intact habitats when we create our designs and implement native landscapes. When you get it right, you'll know, as they thrive for years to come with little to no water and maintenance and provide crucial resources for wildlife along the way.”

 

By Cindy Weiner, UC Master Gardener of Butte County, June 15, 2018

On our hot summer days, shady garden areas can offer welcome respite from the heat. One of the challenges of gardening in shade, though, is adding interest through color, because it can be difficult to find plants that bloom in shade. Incorporating native plants in your garden can greatly increase the choices available to you.

One plant suitable for dry shade is Catalina perfume or evergreen currant (scientific name Ribes viburnifolium). Native to Catalina Island and Baja California, it is a small evergreen shrub with glossy dark green leaves that have a spicy fragrance. The arching red stems reach 3 feet tall and spread about 6 feet. Pruning the stem tips will increase the density of the plant. Small rose-colored flowers appear from February to April. The fruit, a reddish-orange berry, isn't commonly seen in garden settings. While Catalina perfume needs no supplemental water once established, it can tolerate more, so it can be grown alongside plants with greater water requirements.

Coral bells and alum roots in the genus Heuchera are herbaceous perennials native to North America. Their large lobed leaves on long stems are evergreen, making the foliage attractive all year. They have tiny bell-shaped flowers held above the leaves in airy sprays on long stems. These plants look especially nice growing in drifts under trees. They grow well in filtered or part shade and require only occasional to moderate water. Their woody rootstocks should be divided or cut back to short stubs every 3-4 years.

Island alum root (Heuchera maxima) is native to the Channel Islands. It grows one to three feet tall and has creamy white to pinkish flowers. Crevice alumroot (Heuchera micrantha) grows on rocky mountain outcrops from central California north to Oregon. It is smaller than island alum root and its flowers are white or pink. Many cultivars of crevice alum root are available in general nurseries. These cultivars have been selected for foliage with silvery, bronze or purple tones. Three of the cultivars are “painted lady,” “Blessingham bronze,” and “purple palace.”

Many local gardeners enjoy growing azaleas for their beautiful flowers in the spring, but few grow the equally beautiful western azalea (scientific name Rhododendron occidentale). It is native to the coastal ranges and the west side of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains of California and Oregon, including Butte County, where it grows along streams or in other moist areas. In fact, a dried specimen of western azalea collected in Cherokee by Annie Bidwell in 1879 is housed in the herbarium of Harvard University. Western azalea blooms in May and June, later than other azaleas, and has large white or pinkish flowers with a yellow blotch on the top petal. The long stamens extend beyond the flower. Unlike other azaleas, the flowers are fragrant. Western azalea blooms best in filtered or part shade; it will grow in full shade, but blooms will be sparse. Too much sun will burn the foliage. The leaves are deciduous, turning yellow in the fall. At maturity it can reach up to ten feet in height. Like other azaleas, it requires acid or neutral soil and routine irrigation during the dry season. Western azalea makes a worthy companion for other acid-loving plants in the garden.

For more information on gardening in our area, visit the Butte County Master Gardener web page at: http://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/. If you have a gardening question or problem, call our Hotline at (530) 538-7201.