Whether you are in the process of doing some landscaping in your garden or planning a complete redesign of your garden, one of the things that you should keep in mind is the regional water restriction that have been active in California for the past three years. As a landscaper I am constantly trying to advise my clients on making the correct choices of plants that do not require tons of water and also on how to optimise a garden so that it needs as little water as possible.

One of the best ways to go about this is to look at the plants, trees, flowers and shrubs that are local to your specific area. Being in California, you might worry that this may limit you considerably. Not true! At Aesthetic Gardens my team and I can help you find a surprisingly wide variety of trees, plants, shrubs and flowers that have adapted them to the specific weather and water conditions of our region.

So lets get down to business. There are various things that you can do in your garden listed here in no particular order:

1. As I mentioned already, use plants that are suited to the conditions of your specific location. Do research or get a landscaping company like us to do the planning and layout for you.
2. Be inventive. Making use of features such as rocks or weather suited ground cover (like lavender) you can keep bigger areas of your garden in permanent shade. What this does is to lower the soil temperature. When this happens, the soil will retain the water for longer, meaning the plants that you have in your garden has more time to absorb the water. Which brings us to the next point.
3. Plant trees. The common belief is that trees use up tons of water. But if you select carefully, or follow the advise of a landscaper, and pick the correct trees for this area, that statement will not be true. Trees in turn will provide plenty of shade, allowing again for the soil temperature to stay cooler. The shade that the trees will provide also creates an ideal place to plant certain flowers and plants that love the shade. The will be protected from harsh sunlight and use the minimum amount of water because of the cooled soil.
4. Plan your watering times. In my opinion the best time to do watering is early evening just before sunset. This allows the air to cool down naturally, which in turn will cool down the soil. And again, very importantly, the water will stay in the soil for longer, allowing the plants to absorb the maximum amounts.
5. Water according to instructions. Most plants do not need to be watered every day and by planning well and making sure that you have understand the instructions you should be able to cut down on water usage.
6. Keep your soil happy. As time passes, soil will compact and your plants will use up all of the minerals it needs from it. Being compact will also allow it to hold only a certain amount of water and the excess will drain quicker than what the plants can us it. Make use of fertilizer and compost as prescribed by a professional such as myself.
7. Mulch. Mulch. Mulch. I can not say this enough. By adding mulch to cover the soil at the base of your plant you are not only creating a superb looking visual effect but also taking care of your soil. The mulch will again keep the soil temperature low on warm days but also allows for much better water absorption.

And lastly but importantly, always consult a professional when you are in doubt. If you have any questions, ideas or suggestions relating to this post then please feel free to leave you comments below. I am always keen to help where I can and even more keen to learn new things.