2) Local Native Plant Gardens Conserve Water

A huge practical advantage that derives from using native plants that are naturalized to our locale is that, once they are established, the plants need little or no water beyond what nature provides in rain. Since this particular resource is provided by nature for free, you save money. More importantly, since over half the water used by residences in SoCal is used for yards, a native xeriscape approach to gardening is more ecologically responsible than common horticultural practices that have prevailed up to now. From the point of view of our region as a whole, the type of approach advocated here is not only what the present situation appears to call for, but is likely to be what the future demands.

The other side of this coin is that, as a result of having evolved specific strategies to live in our dry conditions, some local native plants may not do well in other types of environments; for example, where there is a lot of water, like the typical garden. As a result, some of our local native plants may not mix well with exotic garden plants that need regular watering. They also may not do well next to lawns. Thus as in (1) above, there would be a limitation on the kinds of plants to choose from based on a plant's water needs. Of course, this would only be a problem if you wanted to include non-natives in your garden.  In any case, this limitation can be mitigated by dividing the whole garden into different planting areas based on plants' differing water requirements. Putting sufficient space between two areas, like a pathway or an open space, allows you to have both an area of native plants and, for example, a vegetable garden which requires fertilizer and a lot of water.  Questions? Comments? Please feel free to contact us by e-mail at northparknativeplants@yahoo.com or by phone at 619-846-0585. We look forward to hearing from you. To Next Benefit Page