Lilac Lawns – Or Why Water-Wise Rocks

When I start talking about Water-Wise Gardens I get all excited. My audience’s eyes however seem to glaze over and I can hear the occasional sigh …

Another one of these barren looking landscapes they think.

Gravel, desert look, spiny plants, a layer of dust is the picture in their mind. And maybe it is in yours too. Not surprising seeing the many examples of ‘water-wise and barren’ we got treated to over the last twenty something years. They sure were great from an environmental point of view, but beautiful or enjoyable to live with?

So how about ‘water-wise, lush, and quirky’? Let me show you an example from my practice where water-wise is not only good for the environment, but also fun, colorful, and easy to deal with.

The landscape shown below was originally all lawn and then all weeds. It was turned around into a relaxing outdoor retreat with a ‘lawn’ (why the quotes around the lawn? I’ll get to this in a minute), lush plantings, a small water feature, an outdoor living room and a secondary get-away in the back.

This garden looks wonderful and is lots of fun to hang out in, but it has some extremely redeeming features that revealed themselves within a short time of living with it – much to the delight of the owners:

The gravel ‘flooring’ of the outdoor living room is an area that naturally holds storm water in the winter. Non-pervious hardscaping would encourage water runoff into the bay, but this gravel area allows water to be retained just long enough to allow it to sink into the ground and help restore our ground water levels. No special drainage area had to be built. It often is enough to make an educated decision on the ‘flooring’ material to make a positive impact on our environment.

The ‘lawn’ isn’t a lawn; it is thyme. It takes the occasional foot traffic very well. It is low growing and not invasive. It establishes within about 12 to 18 months to a fully covering ground cover. It needs watering only every ten days, and – here is the best – it needs mowing only once a year. Again, another environmentally very conscious decision.

Now to the fun and quirky part: The ‘lawn’ turns lilac once a year for about two to three weeks in June. And that‘s the time to have a garden party. There is no other conversation starter needed.

The lush planting is extremely drought tolerant – it is a mix of non-spiny succulents, CA Natives, and Mediterranean plants. They are selected to stay in their given space and not outgrow their welcome to minimize maintenance. They are also chosen for their year-round color and interesting texture. These plants are great for the owners and great for the planet.

This garden’s maintenance requirements are extremely low. The owners have a fine gardener going through the garden every three months for a couple of hours and everything that needs to be done can be handled in these only four visits per year. Compared to the usual weekly maintenance requirements of other gardens this is a huge time and budget saver.

In summary, this is water-wise garden that delights its owners with its minimal upkeep requirements and the quirky lilac lawn, allowing them to enjoy a lush and peaceful retreat without nagging thoughts of maintenance. And try to sit still in your garden and relax when the lawn is too tall … I for sure never managed.

Astrid Gaiser, APLD is an internationally certified landscape designer, Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor (CLIA), and Certified Green Building Professional (CGBP). She specializes in drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, sustainable gardens designed for extensive outdoor living and lots of fun. For more information call 650-224-2895, see www.astridgaiser.com or e-mail Astrid@astridgaiser.com.

This article was first published in the Los Altos Town Crier in March 2012.