Posted by Maggie
a resident of Woodside: Woodside Hills
on Apr 29, 2015 at 12:28 pm

Well said Ms. Breen and Ms. Lyngso!

Posted by Alan
a resident of Menlo Park: Belle Haven
on Apr 30, 2015 at 2:29 pm
Alan is a registered user.

The irony for landscapers who specialize low-water plants is that people tend to think about re-doing their yard in the spring, when it's usually best to do it in the fall. I don't think they'll refuse the business, but planting low-water perennials is best done in the fall. But people can take a few months now, and work with designers to come up with precisely the landscape they want... it doesn't hurt to let the lawn go a little dry in the meantime. That way, everything can fall into place in the autumn.

Some of the most rewarding plants take a few years to grow, in any case; people are too impatient and want "instant yard". There are some manzanita groundcovers (like Carmel Sur) that have a vibrant green, need little supplemental water (once a month, once established), and take nearly no maintenance... unlike grass, you might have to prune it once or twice per year, not every week. However, it can take 3-4 years to fill in. Once it's there, it's fantastic.