Common name:White Gaura
Botanical name:Gaura lindheimeri

White Gaura is a profusely flowering perennial for all zones that grows 2'-4' high. It has pink buds that open to showy white flowers in spring and fall. It needs full sun and is drought tolerant. -Cornflower Farms

Common name:Red Fountain Grass
Botanical name:Pennisetum 'Rubrum'

This grass will reach 6' high and has deciduous, purplish/red leaves with clusters of purple flowers that appear in summer and fall.

Common name:Crape Myrtle
Botanical name:Lagerstroemia indica

The new leaves of this species are 2" long, bright green, and tinged with bronze. Some cultivars have spectacular fall color. When it has a bare outline, its rounded seed capsules add interest. Its delicate flowers bloom in 6"-12" long clusters. The flower colors could be shades of red, rose, pink, purple, and white, blooming in summer. It thrives on heat, and new cultivars have been created that resist mildew. This tree prefers full sun and has low watering needs once it's established.

Common name:Coast Redwood, Redwood
Botanical name:Sequoia sempervirens

This fast-growing, aromatic tree has soft, dark green foliage with long needles appearing in flat sprays and brown, barrel-shaped cones that appear after 1 year. Its soft, red-brown bark is fiberous and furrowed. Particularly after mechanical damage, this tree will stump sprout to form new, young trees around the stump. Avoid planting in areas of high foot traffic.

Common name:Eulalia Grass, Japanese Silver Gras
Botanical name:Miscanthus sinensis

Miscanthus sinensis is popular ornamental grass. Red flowers are held well above foliage clumps, appearing in summer, and may be cut for fresh or dry arrangements. Miscanthus needs full sun and watering at least once a week and more during hot summers. Foliage is variegated, with a thin white band down the center. This grass does great in coastal as well as warm inland valleys.

Common name:Flamingo Green Eulalia Grass
Botanical name:Miscanthus sinensis 'Flamingo'

These deciduous grasses grow from 4-7' tall, and often turn pink-tinged inflorescences before going dormant. Tall, showy spikes of feathery, curved seed heads are borne and retained well into the winter or the following spring. It should receive sun to part shade, and average to little summer watering. -Monterey Bay Nursery

Common name:Blue Fescue, Blue Fescue Grass
Botanical name:Festuca glauca

This ground cover/grass will grow less than 1' tall and has small, blue-green, evergreen leaves that are very thin and hair-like. Flowers appear in the summer but are insignificant. This dependable ground cover prefers full sun in coastal areas and afternoon shade in warm inland areas. It needs well draining soil and is drought tolerant once it's established. Leaves may burn during the summer but trim in winter to keep it looking refreshed.

Dealing With Drought

More than half of the water used at your home is for outside purposes. Studies show that on average, half of the water used outdoors is wasted. The leading cause of waste is incorrectly set and poorly managed irrigation controllers. The second biggest cause of wastage is broken irrigation equipment that goes undetected. There are a few basic things you can do to make a big difference in your water use.

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Solving Runoff Problems

Importance of Watershed

A watershed is a land area that drains rain and other water into a creek, river, lake, wetland, or groundwater aquifer. Water from your neighborhood also enters the watershed through the storm drain system and flows directly to local creeks without any treatment. It often is contaminated by pollutants that can be toxic to fish, wildlife, and people.

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