Change can be good! Many people in Southern California are have a hard time giving up their lawn and going natural with native trees and plants. This can not only save water and money, the native landscape is more interesting and varied. It also takes less care overall and less water once the roots are established.
It takes a multi-pronged approach to maximize water utilization and conservation with landscaping. Removing turf grass is one of the most water conscious adjustments a property owner can make to reduce their water usage. Also, there are rebates available to help mitigate the cost, and the new landscape will save you water and money going forward.
Converting irrigation systems to drip, hand-watering or installing water efficient micro-spray systems or rotating nozzles ensures that landscape watering is as efficient as possible.
Finally, the addition of a sustainable approach in the new landscape works to reduce or prevent wasteful runoff through the use of a rainwater capture or filtration system.
There are many great native trees and plants that do well in our climate. Here are some good contenders from BeWaterWise.com for your native garden.
Are you ready to switch to a native garden? Contact us! At Pacific Vista Landscape Service, we can help you through the rebate process and are experts in all the essential elements, from turf removal to smart irrigation systems, it takes to create an efficient native garden.
Did you know that water use for landscape accounts for as much as 70 percent of total residential water use? The unfortunate part is that much of it is wasted. According to BeWaterWise.com, "close to half of the water used outdoors is wasted through overwatering, runoff and evaporation." Making smart choices with sprinklers, plants and maintenance can dramatically reduce your water bills and your landscape will thrive!
Choose plants for Southern California’s climate:
Select plants with moderate to low water needs
Match your plants’ sun and water needs within shrub and flowers that are similar in each area
Use your favorite high water need plants as accents in areas that are protected from heat and wind
Encourage healthy roots with soil preparation and deep, less frequent watering as plants become established.
Mowing & Mulching:
Raise the lawnmower blade to mow higher and help the lawn grow deeper roots
Keep a 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch in planting beds to limit evaporation and help control weeds
Direct rainwater from the roof into a rain barrel or shrub bed and away from the home’s foundation
Sprinkler Systems:
Create a custom watering schedule and regularly adjust your sprinkler timer
Install a smart sprinkler controller that will automatically adjust to changing conditions
Use rotating sprinkler nozzles for lawn and groundcovers
Convert from spray watering to drip, bubblers, and microsprays for shrubs and flower beds
Install a rain sensor to automatically shut off sprinklers
Change or cap sprinkler heads in areas converted from lawn to shrub and flower beds
Repair sprinkler leaks and adjust for blocked spray and runoff to avoid water waste
Our Professionals at Pacific Vista Landscape Services
Whether we are working on a new, complex installation, or a simple site improvement, our professional crews have years of experience using the industry established "best practices". Call us today at 661-222-7525 and let us help you with your landscape vision!
Is your landscape smart? It can be. Technology originally developed for golf courses and park departments, smart irrigation controllers and rotating sprinklers, are available for all types landscaping from commercial to residential. They do a great job keeping your landscaping healthy, and they also save money!
Smart Irrigation Controller
A smart irrigation controller automatically adjusts watering schedules in response to changing soil and weather conditions. It gathers information about temperature, rain, wind, humidity, soil moisture, and figures the right amount of water to keep your plants and landscape looking healthy.
They work a variety of ways. Some controllers are connected to sensors and measure solar radiation, temperature, humidity, rainfall or soil moisture. Some use historical weather data for your area to project the amount of water needed. Other controllers receive data by satellite or the internet from a network of weather stations.
Rotating Sprinkler Nozzles
Sprinkler technology has evolved too. The latest nozzles rotate, have greater coverage, and are more uniformed in their spray. Their spray is less likely to evaporate in the air from wind, reducing water run-off. In many cases, you can update your existing sprinkler heads with rotary nozzles without having to replace the entire sprinkler body.
New Irrigation Design and Build / Irrigation Retrofit
Pacific Vista Landscape Services can design and build and irrigation system for your commercial or residential project. We establish baseline data based on a digital base plan of existing/original irrigation and landscape in support of the planning process and ROI measurements. This provides an accurate digital record of the location of the existing irrigation equipment [valves, lines and heads] to allow the designer to accurately depict the configuration of the new more efficient system.
We then have an accurate digital record of the location of the existing plants, which allows our irrigation and landscape designers to accurately depict which plants will be retained or replaced. As cost reduction strategy, irrigation designs may include use of existing infrastructure when possible.
Call Pacific Vista Landscape Services today for smart irrigation installation or retrofit! 661-222-7525