Water-Wise Landscaping
Part III
A water-friendly yard ready to weather a statewide drought
By Dawn Brookshire, Home, Garden & Design Editor
Photography by Dan Clement
From water waster to saver, a local Lake San Marcos backyard transformation is nearly complete, and none too soon…This news just released: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a statewide drought.
As we’ve been imploring over the past few months, the time to conserve our limited water resources is now (before it’s mandated, which may very well be coming down the pike), and one of the best places you can start making some changes is in your backyard. (In fact, I’ve already had Mike Sharp from Coast Landscape over to check mine out.)
Here, we detail the various products and services Mike utilized for this backyard makeover, and the local vendors you and I can access as we consider where to start:
For the hardscape (otherwise defined as the part of a building’s grounds consisting of structures such as patios, retaining walls, and walkways made with hard materials) Mike brought in a handful of suppliers, including: Pete Santar from Mar-Con Products, Inc. (San Marcos) to pour the patio and surrounding concrete areas; Eddie Albano at RCP Block & Brick (Encinitas) to put in the flagstone; David Garcia at KRC Rock (San Marcos) bring in the boulders, stones, sand and pebbles; Richard Willets at Sunrise Materials (Vista) for the block and stucco.
For the softscape (which comprises the animate, horticultural elements of landscape design, i.e., grass, plants, etc.) Mike had Phyllis Sanchez provide the synthetic turf and tapped into Green Thumb (San Marcos) and Playa (Vista) nurseries for the ground cover, plants and trees (including palms, vines and lilies).
To water it all (save for the synthetic turf, of course), irrigation parts were supplied by Harry Funk at Imperial Irrigation (Escondido).
Oh, and not to forget the new charcoal grill… says Mike, “The homeowners initially wanted to wait till a later date to install a grill, so we built the location and specifics into our plans with the intention of addressing this element later, but they changed their minds mid-course and we revised our plans to accommodate that. Being flexible with what’s needed and when is such an important part of the process.”
Really, the beauty of a project like this is that the homeowner can contract out as much or as little of the work as he or she’s inclined to or would like. If you can safely and comfortably demo and/or undertake the various necessary tasks, by all means, do what you can and then bring in help for the rest.
Says Sharp, “I’m just here to facilitate what the homeowner needs to have done in order to accomplish their outdoor vision [in this case, a water-friendly yard] – whatever that may entail. If that means working on just certain aspects of the job, that’s fine; if that means planning and executing an entire project, we can do that, too. We work within the client’s budget to accomplish what they want. If funds are limited, we can plan to address or install certain elements later.”
Sharp’s approach is a refreshing one. He’s all about the customer, which is the way it should be – and why I’m having him come over to do my yard next. Well, at least part of it (my husband being the handy guy he is). More motivated than ever, with a drought upon us, and my water bill through the roof, I’ve finally come to realize why water-wise landscaping is important to me (unaware, I was, back in Part I), and why it should be to you, too. NC
Local Water-Wise Landscape Suppliers
Where to go for what’s featured in these pages
Sharp Land Design – Coast Landscape, Inc.
Contact: Mike Sharp
P.O. Box 1332, Vista
760.631.0003
Concrete:
Mar-Con Products, Inc.
Contact: Pete Santar
1615 La Mirada Dr., San Marcos
760.744.3355
Flagstone:
RCP Block & Brick
Contact: Eddie Albano
577 Vulcan Ave, Encinitas
619.719.8137
Boulders, Stones, Sand & Pebbles:
KRC Rock
Contact: David Garcia
700 North Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos
1.800.KRC.ROCK
Block, Stucco, DG Base:
Sunrise Materials
Contact: Kathy & Richard Willets
1112 S. Santa Fe Ave., Vista
760.726.9984
Synthetic Turf:
Sales & More
Contact: Phyllis Sanchez
760.822.9651
Plants:
Green Thumb Nursery
Contact: Jeff Funk
1019 San Marcos Blvd., San Marcos
760.744.3822
Playa Nursery
Contact: Liborio Playa
1505 Buena Vista Dr., Vista
760.497.1698
Irrigation Parts:
Imperial Irrigation
Contact: Harry Funk
630 Enterprise St., Escondido
760.427.0324
ProMeter Moisture Sensors
Another option for guess-free water-wise watering
For eons farmers and gardeners have had to make an educated guess as to how often they water, and how much water to use each time. Until recently, there was no way, short of “x-ray vision,” to know the water content of soil around the roots of crops and plants. Thanks to new moisture-sensing technology, however, this vital information can now be constantly monitored, easily and inexpensively.
The ProMeter, by MorpH2O Water Management LLC out of Ogden, Utah, is an innovative and low-cost irrigation controller, equipped with a patented soil moisture sensor. ProMeters have been shown to reduce water use by 40 to 60 percent in turf and landscape water application studies. They retail for $250, and are available at Grangetto’s Valley Center and Escondido locations.
These “smart controllers” automatically prevent timed watering cycles when they sense that soil has sufficient moisture content. You don’t even have to reset your timer seasonally, or when it rains. They either shut off specific irrigation valves, or an entire system, depending on how the device is connected. Perfect for wet or dry climates, residential or commercial use, ProMeters minimize the cost of maintaining healthy lawns and landscapes.
The ProMeter easily retrofits any brand of timer-controlled irrigation system, so there’s no need to buy a complicated or expensive new timer. It also runs on the system’s existing 24-volt electrical current, so it does not require an additional power source.
One ProMeter typically controls up to four irrigation valves. Your irrigation system configuration, however, determines the actual number of valves you can control with one ProMeter. It works equally well with drip, bubbler or spray heads.
According to Jeffrey Peterson, MorpH2O’s VP of Marketing, “ProMeter moisture-sensing controllers take the guess-work out of watering. They save water, save plants, save time, and save money.” Peterson also points out that while ProMeters for lawn and landscape use are relatively new – introduced in December 2007 – the same patented moisture probe technology has been part of MorpH2O’s agricultural product line for years, with more than 25,000 units currently in use around the world.
(Technical assistance with installation is available for do-it-yourself homeowners and irrigation professionals at www. Morph2o.com.)
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Photography by Dan Clement
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