Learn How to Landscape

San Diego offers the ideal climate for indoor/outdoor living all year long. Think about your landscape as an extension of your living space, and design a garden to live in.

Side by side diagrams of common and water efficient landscapes.

The key is to replace lawn, which needs a lot of water, with plants that need less water. Citrus and avocado trees, most vegetables, and plants native to California and other Mediterranean climate zones all need less water. And your new front porch and backyard dining area won’t need any water.

Live Better
Create a place to drink coffee in the morning and have friends over in the evening — under or next to a shade tree. You don’t need a deck, just gravel, or make some concrete pavers.

Eat Better
Grow organic vegetables in raised garden beds. Have your own little orchard. Grow a kiwi vine on the back fence.

Save the Bees
Plants native to California are home, sweet home for bees. Bee populations are dwindling -- they need new habitat and we need bees!

Meet Your Neighbors
Create a front porch where you can sit and read the mail and you’ll end up making new friends. Gravel or bark and a couple of chairs is all you need.

Reduce Water Pollution
Create a 3-foot wide, 6-inch high berm with plants between lawn and hardscape to prevent runoff from rain and sprinklers.

Create Shade
Shade trees make a garden comfortable, raise property values and reduce irrigation costs.