You don't have to have a hot compost to compost. Vermicompost.

Not the end of an era for me. Have you thought about purchasing materials to add to the compost? Like a bale of nice grass hay or straw or rice hulls.

I also use cardboard and paper containers from kitchen, like cereal boxes, etc., when they say they are recyclable.

Wow, you don"t have weeds, spent flowers, and pruning residue to compost? I compost all the time and haven't had a lawn in more than two decades.

I compost mainly kitchen scraps, and apparently my bins are full of soldier fly larvae. Holy smoke they eat it all up right quick! It's not the loveliest compost ever, but since most of the year I don't have leaves or lawn clippings I just go with what I've got. It definitely improves the soil but it is not the most pleasant smell in the world ;-)

Shredded documents!

please don't be sad. Someone near you has a weed free lawn who will give you grass clippings. Good for you saving water and I'm sure you can get grass clipping easily if you ask around.

I compost and I don't have a front lawn. It's not hot compost

Same here, plus I'm limited by a small lot. In addition to leaves, vegetable scraps, and plant trimmings, I combine newspaper, egg cartons, and paper towels. The L.A. Times is printed with soy ink, and I use unbleached paper towels. I was advised against using color-printed advertising inserts that often stuff the LAT because of uncertainty of ink composition.

Do any of you feel this way about the drought?

Haven't had a lawn in nearly 20 years, and have lacked space for hot composting for the same amount of time, so nothing to regret. I do miss the baby tears that used to flourish without restricted watering.

Grass clippings don't add anywhere near the energy that a spoiled sandwich would. Is it just you in your house? The three in mine manage to keep two compost bins active and hot all year without any grass clippings.

You can always ask the neighbors to contribute!

Wonderful suggestions here, Emma. Don't be discouraged. It's just a matter of adapting.

I do feel CA will never be the same as far as landscaping and water use is concerned.

Thank you to all who replied. I think I must not write well because my post was misunderstood. I was not seeking advice on composting. I was wondering if other people find the drought affects their mood. I am quite sad.

Igteacher, I burst out laughing when I looked at your photo because I have used the same "strainer".

Socks, at least you understood my post. California can never be the same now. Then there is the unemployment of all the folks who mow lawns for a living. The future of our economy is unknown.

Melle, it is not supposed to smell. (lol) My neighbor across the street had about one third of his lawn removed. I am fearing lava rock.

The information you all gave me is good to know.

I find the drought depressing,i had lawns both front and back and tons of flowers,succulents,cacti and some fruit trees.We let the backyard go over a year ago except for the flowerbeds.No more lawn back there and that is what's depressing for me,as i can't decide what to do with it.

We can't afford to spend a ton of money on anything,as we're retired and on fixed income.I've thought of just pavers and small pebbles,but can't bring myself to take the first step.I did keep my front lawn,not as pretty as it used to be,but not as ugly as the backyard.

I now grow a lot of succulents and that's fine,as i do enjoy them,and most of my other plants are in containers.I still have a few plants in the ground,not alot as in the past.I'm just not ready to throw in the towel yet.

I can do this,and i will!!! LOL,LOL

Kathi

Ohhh, yes the drought is depressing for sure. I grew up hearing about the drought during the 70s, which was bad, and they say this one is worse. I took out our front lawn years ago, precisely because of the programming I received as a child about water being scarce here, that California is a desert, and front lawns are a waste of resources. I fully believe it, but its disappointing to see people respond to the drought by ripping out lawn and replacing it with red lava rock. I know compost shouldn't smell, but I don't have time or resources to ensure all the proper ratios. At any rate, the plants like it.

I'm not seeing lava rock in our area. Mostly bark or decomp granite. Some homes look beautiful, especially those professionally done, but some look not as good. Of course not everyone can afford a pro, and I appreciate anyone's effort to reduce water usage.

Gardening isn't fun this summer. I've gotten rid of some potted plants, keeping old favorites. Mostly watered by shower warmup water. A couple annuals have volunteered, otherwise no annuals.

The drought is frightening. I try to think what's good about it. I believe it takes something this drastic to wake up selfish or oblivious people. There are still some very green lawns in my area though. Also I've had hardly any weeds, and I'm surprised at the ones which do pop up. We are allowed to water 2x a week. I wonder if that's too much. I could ramble on forever about this because it's on my mind a lot.

Droughts are part of the weather cycle in California and we have lived as though they were not, depending on outside sources of water more and more. We can have beautiful landscapes that are more in harmony with our climate than the vast lawns of the English estates that influenced our landscaping hundreds of years ago. Read Cadillac Desert for an interesting history of water management and mismanagement in the U.S., particularly California.

Sowbugs are actually mostly beneficial- just read the U C Davis site. They compost for us, right on the spot.

I haven't noticed any lava rock in my area, just pea gravel, decomposed granite, and tree bark. I've noticed that some of the new drought-tolerant landscaping is including natives that attract bees and butterflies -- a step forward from water-thirsty lawns.

I've lived in California for 40 years and in San Diego for 33 years and I've always tried aggressively to keep my water use way down. We had all the grass removed before we even moved in to the current house and replaced it with a beautiful, varied palette of California native and other Mediterranean plants. I really don't see my garden preferences changing with this drought any more than with previous droughts. I choose my plants with summer dryness and drought in mind.

I do most of my own yard work, but I could easily employ a gardener to help me keep it tidy. He just wouldn't need a lawn mower

It's raining right now and I can hear water running into my rain storage tanks!

You guys who aren't seeing lava rock yards are lucky!

Not so many lava rock yards left here, but I'm not seeing so many green yards go brown yet. A few yards have switched over to gravel or decomposed granite and succulents. I like seeing neglected yards get spruced up.

To the OP. The east coast is white in the winter and green in the summer. California is green in the winter and gold in the summer. If you learn to appreciate our seasons rather than trying to fight them to grow east coast style landscapes, you'll be a lot happier (and have plenty to compost!)

quote by lgteacher:

" Droughts are part of the weather cycle in California and we have lived as though they were not, depending on outside sources of water more and more. We can have beautiful landscapes that are more in harmony with our climate than the vast lawns of the English estates that influenced our landscaping hundreds of years ago. "

In some people's opinion but not in mine! I hate those "drought tolerant" plant varieties and low-water yards. I'm turning my yard into a lush green English estate, with all the classic northern European plants many of us miss.

Coastal Southern California is a Mediterranean-type climate, so it may be a good idea to take advantage of the climate and grow fruits like pomegranates that thrive here. Many people think they do not like pomegranates because they are not familiar with eating them; it's a different experience opening up the fruit and removing the little ruby colored arils.

If I'm going to conserve water, I will do so in other ways. I am not going to sacrifice a lush green garden with the species I like. There are other ways to use less water, like trying to create microclimates and making sure the soil can retain water well by mulching your own soil, if you have read anything into permaculture. So often the problem is sandy poor soil, and that is the reason plants require so much water.

Permaculture really is miraculous, a dry semi-arid spot can be turned into a productive self-sustaining food forest with the right human intervention to get it started. But that is another topic.

My understanding of Permaculture must be different from yours, parker.

Permaculture 101 "Permaculture emphasizes the use of native plants or those that are well adapted to your locale." "...they seek out plants that offer practical benefits along with aesthetic satisfaction."

'I'm turning my yard into a lush green English estate, with all the classic northern European plants many of us miss.' seems, to me, to run counter to the practice of permaculture gardening.

Not saying you cannot have a lush garden here. You can. Especially with the knowledge to develop various microclimates, a broad understanding of the available plant stock, and a willingness to pay for it to be irrigated. Understanding the various characteristics of a large number of plants opens up many options. Those '...drought tolerant" plant varieties and low-water yards' you revile, do not necessarily have to be designed with wide-spaced grassy/weedy-looking plants and cacti. There are many lush-looking drought tolerant plants that can be put together in a landscape design that would rival an English estate for beauty. But it takes experience to be able accomplish that type of landscape successfully, and it isn't something that can be passed on easily by book or web site to DIYers.

Even if you water copiously, you are still going to struggle with east coast plants. Soils in rainier climates are more acidic than arid western soils. A lot of plants better suited to wetter climates expect that lower pH and will not thrive in local soils and will also show evidence of burning from our hard water.

Depending on where you live, you also have to take winter chill into account. Peonies, lilacs, azaleas and other standard eastern plants just won't thrive here

Look at the Summer Dry website, the slideshows of plants at Annie's Annuals website and magazines like Sunset and you'll see some lovely, lush gardens with much more appropriate plant material.

The plants in the East tend to be much more deciduous, whereas the plants in the West seem to be much more 'mountainous', with all its extremes. Interesting how some plants are better suited to the West or East.

I believe in microclimates. There is an interplay between the plants and environmental conditions. Humidity, light levels, day/night time temperatures. One of the biggest examples of this is the Amazon rainforest, the existence of all the trees themselves are responsible for the very climate conditions which allow them to grow. Clear cut the forest and things start to become much more arid, and then no trees will grow there. There is a documentary about a man who planted a huge forest in India, when it was rather arid and not much was growing there before.

One of the other documentaries I saw was about deforestation in Eastern Africa. There used to be rivers and streams which constantly flowed, but when all the trees where cut down, it changed the climate and all the good soil got washed away. The soil was no longer able to retain water and things became very dry and barren most of the year, though there would be flash floods during the occasional rains. It had a feedback effect.

Now obviously what you can do in just your own yard is more limited, but it can have an effect on shade and localized humidity levels, and the amount of water the plants take to grow. Having more plants does not necessarily mean greater water consumption in a localized microclimate. It can reduce evaporative losses.

This is one of the prettiest and "lushest" unwatered gardens that I have seen (the magazine has more photos than the website). Of course, the Mediterranean in the background doesn't hurt either....

http://www.monjardinmamaison.fr/mon-jardin-ma-maison/visites-de-jardins/une-garrigue-apprivoisee-55713.html

Microclimates are definitely a great way to cox plants along, but the reality is many east coast/UK plants will not grow here. Any plant that needs freezing temps in the winter is not going to do well. That's why we have to put tulip bulbs in the fridge in the winter and why we don't grow peonies. Just not cold enough outside in the winter. I think that there are far more than two options - lush New England garden and dry brown Arizona desert - for your garden. For me, gardening in a foggy part of San Francisco, microclimate central, I focus on cloud forest plants that gain moisture from the air. The SF Botanical Garden is my best source for these types of plants. I also spend far too much money at Annie's Annuals, she has a great selection of amazing low water, subtropical and cloud forest plants. Don't get me wrong, I am still using too much water, but improving daily. If you can save water other ways, more power to you, but water restrictions are coming and that means more often than not, twice weekly watering max, so I would plan accordingly. For those feeling sad about the drought, yeah no fun, but California is a semi drought climate, even in the best of years, those golden hills with just a few trees on them, that's what works in a climate where rainfall is seasonal even in the good times.

I will also point out that a small increase in annual rainfall levels can make a big difference and tip the scale in the other direction. Even if a forest would not be able to grow in the climate by itself, it might only take a small amount of irrigation to sustain it along. Since there are feedback mechanisms at play.

It is not only annual rainfall. Even if there is plenty of rain in the year, the ecosystem productivity may be limited by extended dry seasons. That is the case in Southern California, to some extent. All that dry scrub brush comes to life after a good rain. If, hypothetically, you took the same amount of water and applied it with consistent artificial irrigation, bigger and less seasonal plant varieties would be able to grow. What I am trying to say is that if you establish a good distribution of plants, and get a good rich soil started through mulching, a little irrigation will be able to go a long way. Lush plantings could have relatively low water usage. Typically in a food forest the fruit trees will be partially shaded by taller, more drought tolerant tree species that take up less water. So the fruit trees often do not require any irrigation, even in fairly dry climate regions, because the air surrounding them is very moist and cool under the canopy. This is not typical landscaping though, and like gyr_falcon said, permaculture really takes some thoughtfulness.

Large rainwater holding tanks combined with electronically-controlled smart irrigation systems are another potential option for local water independence. I believe the technology and techniques exist to make the dry ground come alive with forest and meadows, in many instances, without pumping in water from far away.

Even in the desert there are things that can be done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywoVj4z4doE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sazhRzEV2Y

Parker25mv. How about starting a post/discussion on how to enrich the soils. Your comment is intriguing. How do you enrich the soil under a lush lawn? Compost tea? A beneficial bug buffet? Let's hear it:-)

I have not had a lawn since 1991 and still compost. If you want to do hot compost buy some alfalfa pellets and add them to your mix. I have been composting since before I removed the lawn and do the worms and cold compost - remember Compost Happens. also worms adore bananas!

Sunset Magazine has a special issue just out called "Water Wise Gardening". Gorgeous, gorgeous, lush yet low water gardens. Beautiful photography, too.