Marin IJ Articles

Adapt your garden now: drought conditions may be here to stay

• Julie McMillan

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  Falkirk in San Rafael has Mediterranean plants and also succulents that grow well in Marin. Photo: Gail Mason

  Despite October's unprecedented atmospheric river and a few showers since then, we are still in the worst drought in 140 years. Marin Water has implored us to conserve and has recently prohibited the use of drip irrigation and sprinklers until June 2022. Forecasters are predicting more extreme weather patterns from climate change, along with another La Niña year, which could make our drought even worse. We need to adapt our gardens now for what may be longer or more permanent drought conditions. Here are steps you can take, plant choices you can make, and some excellent examples of drought-tolerant gardens you can visit for inspiration.

  Drought is a prolonged shortage in water supply due to below-normal precipitation, resulting in reduced soil moisture available to plants. To help conserve water in your garden, take these steps:

  • Add organic matter to your soil to help it retain moisture
  • Avoid deep turning of the soil; till only when you're adding organic matter
  • Apply 2"- 3" of mulch on the soil surface to reduce water evaporation, minimize weed competition, and improve soil structure (avoid gorilla hair as it is flammable)
  • Pull weeds before they take moisture from your desirable plants
  • Eliminate overhead sprinklers and install drip irrigation to target water more efficiently on the root zone
  • Use weather-sensing controllers that automatically adjust irrigation
  • Group plants with similar water requirements and water them on the same schedule
  • Use greywater from your clothes washer, bathtubs, showers, and sinks
  • Install rain barrels to capture runoff from your roof and gutters

  Next, look critically at the plants in your garden. To save water, replace more water-intensive plants (e.g., hydrangeas, rhododendrons, azaleas) with more water-resilient ones.  Good choices include:

  • California natives: evolved in our summer-dry climate; once established, most need little or no supplemental water (e.g., Ceanothus, Yarrow, Western Columbine)
  • Mediterranean plants: Marin's "Mediterranean climate" has temperate wet winters and dry summers (only 2% of the world enjoys this climate: the Mediterranean Basin and parts of North Africa, parts of Australia, the tip of South Africa, central Chile, and California/Baja); many Mediterranean plants use low water and are a huge draw for beneficial birds and insects (e.g., Lobelia, Manzanita, Heuchera)
  • Succulents: need little water, add interesting color and texture, and many bloom in the winter to feed bees and hummingbirds (e.g., Agave, Dudleya, Echeveria)
    

    Falkirk in San Rafael displays excellent examples of drought tolerant Australian plants. Photo: Gail Mason

  
  Finally, you may be reluctant to create a more drought-resistant garden because you think they are unattractive. In fact, they can be very beautiful. For inspiration, visit these drought-tolerant gardens:

  Falkirk, San Rafael: maintained by the UCCE Marin Master Gardeners (MMG), offers a Succulent Garden with specimens from around the world and a Mediterranean Garden divided into the five geographic areas.

  Harvey's Garden, Tiburon: maintained by MMG and other volunteers, has a full-sun garden featuring drought-tolerant plants, including California natives and Mediterranean species from South Africa, Mexico, and Australia.

  Marin Art & Garden Center, Ross: Sun Garden features native and drought-tolerant plants, with a colorful mix of salvias, milkweed, verbena, goldenrod, and coreopsis; Matilija poppies can be found near the front entrance.

  

  Harvey’s Garden in Tiburon showcases drought-tolerant California natives and Mediterranean plants. Photo: Carol Felton

  SF Botanical Garden at the Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park: Arthur L. Menzies Garden of California Native Plants incorporates wildflowers, shrubs, and trees; there is also a Mediterranean Garden and a Succulent Garden (advance tickets recommended).

  Ruth Bancroft Garden, Walnut Creek: created by a pioneer in drought-tolerant gardening, includes over 2,000 cactus, succulents, trees, and shrubs native to California, Mexico, Chile, South Africa, and Australia (closed Mondays).

  UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley: features plants from the world's Mediterranean climate zones; also contains a section with almost a quarter of California's identified native plant species, grouped by plant communities, including collections of manzanitas, California lilacs (Ceanothus), and bulbous plants in the lily and amaryllis families (reservations required).