‘Green’ yards conserve water

In a neighborhood of crisp green lawns and colorful rose bushes, Don and Denise Hahn’s yard is a lesson in subtlety. Clumps of wild-looking grasses sit next to spiky aloe plants which rest under the shade of palo verde trees, all of which melts into the natural vista of the foothills.

“I am just a regionalist,” Denise Hahn said. “Everything should look like it is in Southern California. I think it is ridiculous to waste water on sod that doesn’t want to be here in the first place. It is totally artificial.”

The Hahns, who moved from Glendale to their home on Knight Way in La Cañada Flintridge five years ago, are part of a contingent of local property owners to have embraced drought-resistant and California native plants, and are re-landscaping accordingly. The movement is being stoked by the ongoing Southern California water crisis, which has cut available water and resulted in increased customer rates.

Nina Jazmadarian, general manager at the Foothill Municipal Water District, said that native plants and waste-free watering are critical given current conditions. Many water agencies are now offering financial incentives for households that install hyper-efficient, weather-based irrigation controllers, she added.

“It is very important,” Jazmadarian said. “When you are watering efficiently and not losing that water to runoff, it is just great.”

The biggest challenge, Don Hahn said, was letting go of the lawn. After that, it was time to experiment with species of different sizes and textures to get the right mix.

The couple sought out specialty nurseries, and consulted with a landscape architect. They intend to plant several Engelmann oak trees, as well as buffalo grass, hummingbird sage and California meadow sedge, in coming weeks.

Because the yard is a work in progress, Denise Hahn said, it is difficult to quantify how much water or money has been saved so far. But they said they were confident that the work would pay off in the future.

“I am figuring they are going to shut off our water and we will be ready because we have already done all the experimenting,” she said. “We don’t want suddenly nothing but dirt out there.”

La Cañada residents Eric and Elisa Callow have made a science of native plant gardening and efficient watering, reducing their water consumption by more than a third last year, they said.