Kathy Kristof
  • Money
    • Money

      Misleading Statistics On The Freelance Economy

      July 9, 2018

      Money

      New Options For The House-Rich, Cash-Poor

      July 9, 2018

      Money

      What If You Said “Yes” To The…

      July 9, 2018

      Money

      New Law Provides Tax Gift To Side…

      July 9, 2018

      Money

      Money Rules of Thumb

      February 12, 2017

  • Garden
    • Garden

      Save Money with a Drought Tolerant Garden

      February 12, 2017

      Garden

      Gardening For Fun and Profit, Herbs

      February 12, 2017

      Garden

      Gardening for fun & profit: Berry and…

      April 21, 2016

      Garden

      Best organic pest-control: A snake.

      April 21, 2016

  • Kathy’s Kitchen
    • Kathy’s Kitchen

      Making Flavored Oil and Vinegar

      February 12, 2017

      Kathy’s Kitchen

      Pineapple Pizza for Pennies a Slice

      February 7, 2017

      Kathy’s Kitchen

      Make or Buy? A Calorie Comparison​

      February 7, 2017

      Kathy’s Kitchen

      Cooking in Kathy’s Kitchen

      February 7, 2017

      Kathy’s Kitchen

      Italian Zoodles

      February 7, 2017

  • Contact Me

Kathy Kristof

Living a Rich Life, with or without vast riches

  • Money
    • Money

      Misleading Statistics On The Freelance Economy

      July 9, 2018

      Money

      New Options For The House-Rich, Cash-Poor

      July 9, 2018

      Money

      What If You Said “Yes” To The…

      July 9, 2018

      Money

      New Law Provides Tax Gift To Side…

      July 9, 2018

      Money

      Money Rules of Thumb

      February 12, 2017

  • Garden
    • Garden

      Save Money with a Drought Tolerant Garden

      February 12, 2017

      Garden

      Gardening For Fun and Profit, Herbs

      February 12, 2017

      Garden

      Gardening for fun & profit: Berry and…

      April 21, 2016

      Garden

      Best organic pest-control: A snake.

      April 21, 2016

  • Kathy’s Kitchen
    • Kathy’s Kitchen

      Making Flavored Oil and Vinegar

      February 12, 2017

      Kathy’s Kitchen

      Pineapple Pizza for Pennies a Slice

      February 7, 2017

      Kathy’s Kitchen

      Make or Buy? A Calorie Comparison​

      February 7, 2017

      Kathy’s Kitchen

      Cooking in Kathy’s Kitchen

      February 7, 2017

      Kathy’s Kitchen

      Italian Zoodles

      February 7, 2017

  • Contact Me
Garden

Save Money with a Drought Tolerant Garden

written by Kathy Kristof

Going drought-tolerant to save money (and the planet)

Frank McDonough, a botanist with the Los Angeles County Arboretum, readily admits that estimating what families might save on water bills by putting in a drought tolerant garden is almost impossible. To be sure, drought-tolerant plants can thrive on a fraction of the water required by a traditional lawn. But, how much water — and expense — you save by replacing water-gulping landscaping with the drought-tolerant variety will depend on how much landscaping you have, which plants you choose, weather conditions, how much your water district charges and whether you are subject to water-guzzler fines. Those factors are impossible to gauge from afar.

Daylilies, which die back in the winter, provide bright spring color and need little water once established.

However, you can do a reasonable estimate on your own. Start by comparing your water bills from the heat of summer to those in rainy winter months (assuming you turn off the sprinklers when it rains). That difference can tell you roughly how much of your water use is directed to your landscaping rather than your household. You won’t save 100% of your landscaping water costs, of course. But, if you’re watering your lawn twice a week, you should realize that many drought-tolerant plants need to be watered just twice a month and even less often in the winter, says McDonough.

That could save you 75% on the landscaping portion of your water bill. Thus, if you estimate that you spend $100 month on water; $75 of which is landscaping, you could reasonably guess that swapping high-water landscaping for water-sipping alternatives could cut that cost by $50 a month, or $600 a year.

Ceanothis, a California native, comes in all shapes and sizes, from ground-cover varieties to trees. This plant is more likely to die from over-watering than drought.

The bad news is that even in the best of circumstances, the up-front cost of replacing your landscaping can be steep, so your break-even point could be years away. After all, the time and labor required in ripping out a lawn can be substantial. And, while you can find discount nurseries that sell plants relatively cheaply, they’re certainly not free. Depending on whether you hire out or do it yourself, you should expect to pay between $2 and $5 for each square foot of landscaping replaced. So, if the family in the previous example was replacing 1,000 square feet of grass, for instance, it might cost $3,000 up-front. At that rate, it would take them five years to recover their investment.

But if you happen to live in the drought-ravaged West, you may be able to find state or city rebates to defray those up-front expenses. The California Department of Water Resources offers a turf replacement rebate program that pays up to $2 per square foot, to a total of $2,000 per household, for instance. And cities in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Colorado offer rebate programs too. 

Rosemary is a practical herb that can spice up your soups, as well as keep mosquitoes at bay. This fragrant perennial also brightens the garden with sky blue flowers in the spring.

And even if there’s no rebate available to you, the long-term cost savings may still be worth the up-front investment. McDonough adds that even if you can’t justify ripping out a lawn for the cost savings, it might still be worth doing for the planet. “Why not do it just because it’s the right thing to do?” he asks.

In addition to saving a finite resource, McDonough says that water-wise landscaping has plenty of aesthetic and environmental charms. Many varieties are long-blooming, self-spreading and colorful year-round. Moreover, drought-tolerant plants are a draw to hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators, so they could make your fruit garden more lush and productive. And, since many are perennial, you can put away your trowel. There’s no need to pop annuals into the garden for seasonal color. The right water-wise mix will come back year after year.

Convinced but confused about where to start? The first step is planning. Plot out the area you want to convert, measuring the square footage. You’ll need these measurements to apply for rebates. They also are the first step in figuring out just how many plants you should buy to populate your garden. Be aware that perennials grow quickly, so there’s no need to plant them right on top of one another. Give them room and plenty of mulch. Even though a just-planted perennial garden looks sparse at first, it fills in quickly.

When it comes to designing gorgeous perennial gardens, there’s nothing quite like Sunset Magazine publications, such as their paperback titled simply “Perennials.“ This book offers garden design ideas based on color palette, water use and the shape of your planting area, as well as providing information about plant sizes, sun and water needs. The books can be purchased for a few dollars on line. Beware the publication’s water-use designations, however. McDonough says that many plants that the magazine describes as “moderate” water users are low-water plants once established.

Another great resource is the online Monrovia plant catalog. Plug in the criteria you want — from flower color and height to water use  — and the search tool will present you with dozens of options, replete with photographs and other details.  Monrovia also offers a newsletter and a wide array of online garden planning advice.

Mountains of free mulch

You can reduce your water use and keep your plants healthier by adding mulch to your planting beds. Spread mulch thickly — about 1 to 2 inches deep — and it can help control weeds, too.

Better yet, in many areas, you can get mulch for free. Type “free mulch” into your Internet search bar and you’re likely to find dozens of locations where state and community tree-trimmers offer mountains of mulch  on a  BYOS — bring your own shovel — basis.

Save Money with a Drought Tolerant Garden was last modified: March 22nd, 2020 by Kathy Kristof
0 comment
4
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Kathy Kristof

previous post
Money Rules of Thumb
next post
New Law Provides Tax Gift To Side Hustlers

You may also like

Gardening for fun & profit: Berry and...

April 21, 2016

Best organic pest-control: A snake.

April 21, 2016

Gardening For Fun and Profit, Herbs

February 12, 2017

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

About Me

About Me

Mother & Writer & Financial Philosopher

Hi. My name is Kathy Kristof and I write about money. That’s not because I particularly care about money. I’m not storing a pile of gold bars in the basement; nor do I pine for the day when I can buy 5-carat diamonds, a Lamborghini and a 9-bedroom house in the Hamptons. I write about money because freedom is incredibly important to me.

Latest Articles

  • Misleading Statistics On The Freelance Economy

  • New Options For The House-Rich, Cash-Poor

  • What If You Said “Yes” To...

  • New Law Provides Tax Gift To...

  • Save Money with a Drought Tolerant...

  • Money Rules of Thumb

  • Making Flavored Oil and Vinegar

  • Budget 101

  • Money Provides Power and Freedom

  • Gardening For Fun and Profit, Herbs

  • Dream Your Own Dreams

  • Smart Retirement Planning

  • Do You Need Life Insurance?

  • Post College Game Plan for Money...

  • Personal Finance Power Tools

Tweets

  • Writing jobs are booming. Where to post a portfolio to land work https://t.co/LfEvfPl6ec

    22-Feb-2021

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • Side hustles for every generation -- yard work to travel; photography to coaching https://t.co/hK8a6M6zId

    17-Feb-2021

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • Earn good money with dirty jobs https://t.co/8GvcqOaiot

    10-Feb-2021

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • New tool to make money without breaking a sweat https://t.co/485uaTe7jn

    04-Feb-2021

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • Health-related side hustles, new job reviews and tax tips https://t.co/1wUK1RwVfX

    28-Jan-2021

    Reply Retweet Favorite

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Linkedin
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin

kathykristof.com


Back To Top