Garden Sense | UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

Reduced Water Use Can Go Hand-in-Hand with Beautiful Landscaping!

Garden Sense is a free program offered by the UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County in partnership with Sonoma Water and the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership.

Request a free Garden Sense consultation of your garden here

Or call 707 565-3026

Our friendly Garden Sense consultants have advanced training in water management, irrigation systems, site assessment, low-water use plants, and sustainable garden practices. We can show you how to easily conserve water (and save money) by creating a climate-appropriate garden that is healthy, environmentally sound, and most of all – beautiful!

While visiting your garden, our Garden Sense Consultants will provide:

How-to information about lawn conversion and converting sprinklers to drip irrigation
Plant suggestions based on your site conditions
A quick sketch of a planting layout
An assessment of your existing irrigation system

Want to learn more about Garden Sense? Read more in the links to Garden Sense publications.

Garden Sense Publications

Find helpful websites about how to reduce water use in your garden:

For more than a decade, our Garden Sense consultants have advised well over 2000 Sonoma County clients on creating more sustainable, resilient, habitat-friendly landscapes.

Since its inception, it is estimated that Garden Sense has helped residents save 2.5 million gallons of water per year, which extrapolates to over 38 million estimated lifetime gallons of water saved!

What are people saying about the Garden Sense Program?

Here are some of the testimonials from our Garden Sense clients:

I was shocked at the level of knowledge these two (consultants) brought and the level of their willingness to provide useful info. They took their time and let ideas unfold, then sketched a draft plan for replanting. Amazing!

They were great. Wonderful program!! I wanted help with my landscaping plan, learned so much more than expected – from useful local resources to advice for do-it-yourselfers.

This was such an informative visit! I now feel much more able to replace my lawn because I understand the steps I need to take and the types of plants to use. The Master Gardeners were awesome!

I am most appreciative of this program and for the volunteers who give their time! They are amazing.

Such a valuable consultation. They identified my soil type, introduced me to new plants, recommended plant placement, discussed garden design features, discussed water issues, and so much more. I was very impressed.

The Garden Sense Program is a partnership between the UC Master Gardeners of Sonoma County and the Sonoma Marin Saving Water Partnership

UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

Garden Sense was awarded the Irrigation Association 2020 Outstanding Public Engagement Award

The UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County (MGSC) Garden Sense program via its sponsoring organization, Sonoma Water, was named the recipient of the Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT) Outstanding Public Engagement Award. This award recognizes a water provider that has a successful program of education and public engagement on efficient irrigation technologies and practices.

Do Your Part – Be Water Smart!

How much water do you save if you get rid of your lawn?

A low water-use garden in Sonoma County uses, on average, a third of the water that a lawn requires?

A 1,000 square foot water-wise garden uses only 5,000 to 10,000 gallons of water per year, while a same-size lawn uses more than 22,000 gallons per year.

Swap out your lawn for a water-efficient pollinator-friendly landscape with the help of our Garden Sense consultants.

Garden Sense landscape before lawn removal — Garden with lawn before Garden Sense consultation.

landscape after lawn removal — Garden after Garden Sense consultation and lawn removal.

Garden Sense is a cooperative program between the UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County and Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership