Hi everyone - sorry I haven't posted in a while. It has been a busy month. We have had lots of publicity thanks to recent articles with our great client Amy Brenneman. We have been featured in the Los Angeles times, the Whole Life Times, and Valley Life magazine for June/July issues. Thanks again Amy!

We have been getting calls and emails lately from homeowners wanting to reduce the amount of water they are using. I am currently updating our July class schedule and we will be having one hour classes on what you can do to reduce your water use.Lots of other great classes as well.

 Just to clarify what you can and can't do - you can water with a hose any day but not between the hours of 9 and 4 ideally. The dwp is really trying to get folks from wasting water and will be fining people for excessive sprinkler use and watering lawns. If you are out watering a flower pot or bed between those hours I really don't think they will bother you. They will give out a warning first in any case. I can tell you in the heat I am watering by hand my living wall and vegetable beds. We are also watering by hand for out clients to keep things alive.

The reality is we just need to cut out the amount of grass we have. There are lots of plants that you can put in that don't require as much water as a lawn - but will still keep the landscape cool. What I worry about is the rocks and decomposed granite that is going in and how hot it will make our cities. That is not a good direction to go in either. I always think our tendancy it to swing far too much in over reaction to things like this and I fear that is happening now. I think a nice balance of some lawn and some drought tolerant plantings - and of course trees is the best mix for the water restrictions that aren't going away.

Email me or call me and I promise to try and blog and twitter more - Anne