The Coastal Gardener:

Just an hour’s drive north or south of us, gardening is now quite different than it is here in paradise. Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, and most of Orange County, are green and lush, but gardens in Los Angeles and San Diego are quickly turning to shades of brown.

As you might expect, water is the difference. Our local water providers, the city of Newport Beach, the Mesa Consolidated Water District and the Irvine Ranch Water District, have, thus far, only asked for voluntary water conservation.

But for gardeners in Los Angeles and San Diego, the water conservation message isn’t “please.” Instead, it’s the law. On June 1, the hammer dropped in these cities. Lawns and landscapes, once green and lush, are drying up quickly.

In L.A. and San Diego, water conservation is now a directive — and enforcement is stringent. Toll-free hotlines are in place for neighbors to snitch on violators, and enforcement staffs are patrolling neighborhoods. In both cities, landscapes with traditional sprinkler systems can only be watered for a period of 10 minutes. That’s bad, but it gets worse. Los Angeles gardeners are only permitted to water on Mondays and Thursdays. San Diego gardeners are allowed to water only three times per week. In both cities, irrigations are prohibited from mid-morning through late afternoon.

That’s only 20 or 30 minutes of water per week — no exceptions. How would your lawn look on such a water diet?

Los Angeles is in Phase III of its water conservation ordinance. Phase IV limits watering to Mondays only, and Phase V prohibits irrigations completely.

Perhaps it is only a matter of time before the hammer also drops in Newport Coast, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. I know Newport Beach is currently drafting a landscape irrigation and water conservation ordinance. I’ve been watching City Council agendas, because it should come before the full council in the next month or so. The public is welcome at these sessions and I hope to be there myself. Costa Mesa also appears to have an ordinance in the works.