Nine hours and nearly 200 miles later, we had selected the winners.
What makes a garden California friendly? It is often a compilation of many small adjustments, inconspicuous techniques and subtle plant selections.
California-friendly gardens are everywhere. They are in every neighborhood. There may be one right down the street from you. Yours might be one. Because California friendly gardens are created from many subtle adjustments, they often go unnoticed, even in our own neighborhoods.
On judging day we looked for these small nuances, walkways and exposed areas that were offered permeable surfaces, like decomposed granite.
Secondary paths may have been assembled of pavers or flagstone set without mortar, allowing even more water to absorb into the garden. These are subtle techniques, but very effective at reducing water runoff.
We noticed a narrow grate at the bottom of a driveway, unseen to most. But through this grate entered all of the water, and pollutants from the driveway — an oily solution that would have otherwise gone to the ocean.
This nearly invisible little canal efficiently put this water back into the earth, to be cleansed by the soil and its microorganisms.
Sprinklers and irrigation devices are nearly invisible. But an efficient system, delivering water to plants and not sidewalks, is always a component of a resource-friendly garden. In the best gardens, spray heads are unobstructed, spacing is thoughtful and the flow of water is restrained. And irrigation timers are weather sensitive or at least actively managed. Gardens may look similar at a glance, but a garden with an efficient irrigation system will conserve water, while a similar appearing garden may be a water waster. It’s all in the details.
