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‘The American lawn feels irresponsible’: the LA homes ditching grass for drought-friendly gardens | Los Angeles
A lush green lawn has long been a symbol of the perfect American home. But as a prolonged drought reshapes life in California, many residents are rethinking what a beautiful yard should look like. In Los Angeles, which imposed sweeping restrictions on outdoor water use this year, thirsty lawns are out – and California native plants are in. From mansions in Brentwood to old family homes in Koreatown to neighborhoods in South LA, Angelenos are installing climate-friendly yards full of California buckwheat, toyon, sage, and succulents, and building in garden features to help conserve and retain the state’s limited rainwater. The choice to conserve may be contagious. Starting this June,…
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Removing her Southern California lawn was therapy
Even here, in the scorching summer heat of Altadena, Seriina Covarrubias’ front yard feels cool and inviting under the dappled shade of a magnificent elm tree. “I thought it was going to take longer for a natural habitat to materialize,” Covarrubias says of her two-year-old garden, which is filled with fragrant coastal scrub. “The birds feel so comfortable here they made a nest on the ground,” she adds, reaching down to reveal a black phoebe’s nest beneath a foothill sedge (Carex tumulicola). Sages and ceonothuses thrive under the canopy of an elm tree. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) More than thirsty birds have flocked to her garden since she…
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How to prepare your lawn and garden for spring
It’s the ugly time of year in the Capital Region. The calendar says spring, but it doesn’t feel like it, and even though there’s always a few 60-degree days this time of year, there’s also still a risk for a snowstorm. In other words, it’s not quite time to clean up the yard and put plants in the garden, but there are other ways you can prepare for the growing season. For Rochelle Thomas, this is the time of year when she shares her home with plants — a lot of plants. Thomas owns Daisies and Dahlias, a garden design and plant care company in Saratoga Springs. Thomas and her…
