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Table for Talking
Forest Pansy Redbud
Columbine
California Wild Grape
Coast  Live Oak
Creeping Red Fescue
Canyon Prince Wild Rye
Forest Pansy Redbud

Common name:Forest Pansy Redbud
Botanical name:Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

This small tree may reach 25' tall and it has dark green/purple leaves that are purple in the fall. Amazing pink flowers bloom in the spring and fill the tree.

Columbine

Common name:Columbine
Botanical name:Aquilegia hybrids

Coumbine has large, spurred flowers with clear colors of white, lavender, yellow, deep red and pink which are borne on 2 1/2' tall plants. The strikingly beautiful blooms make good cut flowers. They require partial shade or full sun, along with well- drained soil. The colors, however, cannot be chosen.

California Wild Grape

Common name:California Wild Grape
Botanical name:Vitis californica

The California Wild Grape is a woody deciduous vine that with round large leaves. The flowers are in small fragrant blooms and berry clusters appear in the summer. This vine has a sprawling, climbing growth habit. The California wild Grape is native to California and is drought tolerant.

Coast  Live Oak

Common name:Coast Live Oak
Botanical name:Quercus agrifolia

The Coast Live Oak is an evergreen round headed tree. It can reach 15'-40' high and 20' wide; it grows very well from the coastal areas to the interior valleys. It is native to California, is drought tolerant, and attracts butterflies.

Creeping Red Fescue

Common name:Creeping Red Fescue
Botanical name:Festuca rubra

Creeping Red Fescue is not red but dark green. It is a great ground cover kept at longer lengths for banks. It is very shade tolerant and lush looking.

Canyon Prince Wild Rye

Common name:Canyon Prince Wild Rye
Botanical name:Leymus condensatus 'Canyon Prince'

One of the best known and utilized native grass selections in Southern California, this beautiful, blue gray foliage spreads out 3'-4' or more. It will reach a height of 2'-3'. It rarely flowers. It does spread by rhizomes although not as vigorously as some closely related species. It can be extremely drought tolerant and care must be taken not to over water this species as it can rot from the center. Otherwise, it is carefree and requires virtually no maintenance.

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.

Click in the green box for more information

Designer: Owen Dell

Table for Talking

Photographer: GardenSoft

Soils and Compost:

Maintain a two to four inch layer of mulch on the soil surface to reduce weeds, infiltrate rain water, and reduce compaction.

Integrated Pest Management:

Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.