Could there be another explanation for the brown leaves? I'm in North Cal, but it will be quite awhile before it's dry enough to turn a hedge brown up here.

Thanks, nanelle and socks. I agree it seems a bit too soon for leaves to brown due to lack of water. I should probably check with a nursery. I did a lot of checking online for our area, and opinions really vary on how soon to start regular watering again.

Are those brown hedges up against the house and beneath the eaves? I learned that lesson a long time ago and water plants in those locations regularly, even when we've had lots of rain.

It depends on a number of factors, especially the type of plants you have. Even though we have had a lot of rain, different soil types will retain the water in different ways. Try getting a moisture meter and test your ground to see how much moisture is there.

kentc, the hedges are along a walkway that leads to our driveway. These photos are a couple years old...and taken in rain and sun.

Colwynn Design, good idea! I'm not even 100% sure what these particular hedges are but easy to find out. The leaves...when not so closely 'shaved'...look similar to what I saw online as Japanese Pittosporum.

If they are pitts, you might want to look into the "sudden pittosporum dieback" that has been plaguing CA gardeners. It is due to a water mold, phytophthora, which is typically the result of excess rainfall or irrigation (or poor drainage) and to which pitts are overly susceptible.

gardengal, I just looked it up and you may have nailed it. This was one of the photos...exactly what we're seeing on ours.