THE COASTAL GARDENER:A test of green thumbs’ creativity

Before I announce an exciting opportunity for Orange County gardeners, let me recap what we talked about during the past two weeks of this column.

Standing at Little Corona Beach with a stream of landscape water gushing at my feet. I could have been standing there on any day of the year, watching the water flow by. I told you about the millions of gallons of water that escape our gardens and flow to the ocean, carrying with them a daily dose of fertilizers, pesticides, snail bait and other garden chemicals. Together, we reviewed ways for local gardeners to reduce this runoff, conserve water and grow healthier plants.

We talked about some new water-saving technology. You learned about “smart” irrigation controllers, like the WeatherTRAK system that is producing healthier gardens and conserving water in thousands of our local gardens. I suggested that gardeners switch their sprinkler heads to super-efficient models, like the MP Rotator. The time is now, so we talked about some easy changes — like using organic products in our gardens, fixing broken sprinklers, mulching over the surface of our soil and limiting turf areas to where we really need it.

Naturally, we should also be thoughtful of the plants that we select to grow in our gardens. Choosing plants that are acclimated to Southern California’s dry summers makes perfect sense. We now know that how we group the plants in our gardens is as important as the plants that we choose. Mixing thirsty plants with low-water plants in the same section of the garden negates the value of the water-thrifty plants. However, planting thirsty plants in one zone and low-water water plants in another makes perfect sense and saves water.

Collectively, when we plant a garden wisely, irrigate accurately and maintain it in a way that conserves and protects our local resources, we refer to the garden as California-friendly.

Now the news! On Wednesday, a coalition of water agencies, environmental groups and businesses launched Orange County’s California Friendly Garden Contest. Nearly $5,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to the best and most beautiful California-friendly gardens in Orange County. With rainfall at record lows this year, the contest promises to be very exciting.

It’s easy to enter. Just take three pictures of your frontyard and fill out a brief online form: Your garden is now in the running. Your pictures, along with your city and last name will be posted on the contest website.

The competition, being promoted through numerous websites, newspapers, magazines and on television, will encourage gardeners throughout the county to make their garden California-friendly. The contest is organized by Roger’s Gardens and sponsored by a powerful coalition: the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Municipal Water District of Orange County, the Irvine Ranch Water District, the city of Newport Beach, the Surfrider Foundation, Orange County Coastkeeper, Monrovia Nursery, WeatherTRAK, MP Rotator, Dr. Earth, Gardner and Bloome, and others.

Entries are being accepted now and will be posted on the website soon. During the month of June, public voting will take place on the contest website. Thousands of gardeners will view the pictures submitted and vote for their favorites. The 10 California-friendly gardens that receive the most votes will be inspected by an expert judging team on July 13. Finally, on the evening of July 28, at a multi-media awards presentation in Corona del Mar, the public is invited to be present when the four best California-friendly gardens are awarded. The evening will conclude with the announcement of the best California-friendly garden in Orange County.

If you want to win, here’s a tip — it should be beautiful! California-friendly gardens are beautiful. They are gardens that are stunning and inspirational. They are gardens that excite your senses, tease your curiosity and leave you wondering how you can bring them to your own home.

To see the full details of the contest, see some inspirational photographs or enter go to the official contest website, www.rogersgardens.com/garden5contest .

Good luck.

ASK RON

A gardening friend told me about a garden show coming up soon in Fullerton. Do you know about this?

JOYCE

Costa Mesa

You have good gardening friends. The show is the Greenscene at the Fullerton Arboretum and runs April 21 and 22. The Greenscene is one of Southern California’s largest gardening shows and offers something for everyone. Don’t miss it. I’ll see you there. (Go to www.arboretum.fullerton.edu for more.)

your toughest gardening questions, and the expert nursery staff at Roger’s Gardens will come up with an answer. Please include your name, phone number and city, and limit queries to 30 words or fewer. E-mail stumpthegardener@rogersgardens.com, or send to Plant Talk at Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, Corona del Mar, CA 92625.