Let's talk about drought-tolerant landscaping

Good morning, North County!

We had quite a bit of rain in the closing weeks of 2014, and the forecasters I rely on—contractors, rather than professional weathermen—believe we are in store for a wet winter, with significantly more rainfall than the 11 or so inches per year North County averages.

In light of this, do you think it’s time to pull the reins on the move to get homeowners to rip out their lawns and install more drought-tolerant landscaping, or do you think this is a trend that deserves encouragement and should continue regardless of how much rain we get?

I raise this topic because a number of people with whom I have spoken say they’ve noticed that landscaping using drought-tolerant or native plants actually looks better than even the most neatly manicured lawn. One Carlsbad resident told me, “I ripped out my lawn to save money, but what the landscaper put in to replace it is simply marvelous—native grasses, flax, and other bullet-proof plants that don’t require much water but look so much better, clumped together on a sea of bark, than that old lawn of mine.”

What are your thoughts on native or drought-tolerant landscaping? Sure, it’s a smart move for water conservation, but do you think there also is an aesthetic upside?