THE COASTAL GARDENER:

Could I get a glass of water, please? Anyone ... a glass of water, please?

That might be what I’ll need March 5 as the city of Newport Beach hosts its first public WaterMiser workshop at the Newport Beach Central Library. I think I might be a little thirsty that evening.

Reducing and conserving outdoor water use doesn’t mean replacing lawns and trees with plastic and gravel, or turning colorful flower beds into prickly cactus gardens.

Water-conserving gardens don’t look dry, dusty or dormant. They don’t cost any more than water-wasting gardens. A well-thought-out design, along with soil improvement, modern irrigation devices, use of mulches, and proper selection of plants can make a big difference in your garden’s water consumption.

The public is encouraged to attend the free event, focused specifically on helping local citizens conserve precious landscape water.

The purpose of the evening is to discuss and demonstrate ways we can all have a beautiful, thriving garden, while at the same time conserving our limited water resource.

I’m pretty sure I’ll be thirsty that evening.

I was honored, when Shane Burckle, Newport’s new water conservation coordinator, asked me to be the keynote speaker for the evening. I will be presenting a program titled “Gardening Green in Orange County,” with a special emphasis on how water is being used, or misused, in our gardens.

The evening officially begins at 6 p.m. but I’d suggest coming a few minutes early so you can meet some of my colleagues and other landscape water experts who will be on hand, sharing their expertise and showing the latest water conservation tools and products.

Outside the main meeting room, the library’s patio will be bursting with exhibits, including a large California-friendly plant selection, hosted by my co-worker Wendy Proud. Wendy is the star of the Proud Gardener, a weekly segment on KOCE-TV’s “The Real Orange.” She will show a wide variety of plants that are well adapted to our mild Mediterranean climate and will be available to answer questions about their care, culture or uses in our gardens.

Tom Ash, a horticulturist and one of California’s foremost authorities on landscape water efficiency, will be on hand to help participants better understand the advantages of the “Smart” irrigation controllers now available. Newport Beach has encouraging home gardeners to switch from their old clock-based controllers to “Smart” irrigation for almost four years now. Hundreds are now in use in the city and rebates are still available which pay for some or all of the cost of conversion.

Experts will also be on hand to answer questions about new, water-efficient sprinkler technology, rainwater harvesting and storage, and non-polluting, water conserving planter technology.

The city is planning on a large turnout.

Homeowners who want to learn more about landscape water conservation are all invited. Homeowners association board members are also encouraged to participate.

I have spoken to several members of homeowners association landscape committees who want their community to become more “green” and water efficient; they also plan to attend.

You can make a reservation, which would be appreciated, by calling (949) 644-3214. Several water-efficient California-friendly plants will be given away at the conclusion of the seminar. The Newport Beach Central library is at 1000 Avocado Ave., near MacArthur Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway.

I’ll see you there, with a glass of water for the speaker please.

ASK RON

Question: Is there still time to plant lettuce, broccoli and root vegetables, like radish, carrots and beets?

Robin

Newport Coast

Answer: Yes, there is. All the vegetables you mentioned are “cool-season” growers, meaning they don’t do well in the hot summer months. In Orange County, especially along the coast, there is still time for another crop of all of these, as well as cabbage, kale, peas, spinach, Brussels sprouts, chard and cauliflower. In another month the first warm-season vegetables can be started as well. These include tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons, cucumbers, beans, corn and others.

ASK RON 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 write to Plant Talk at Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, Corona del Mar, CA 92625.

RON VANDERHOFF is the Nursery Manager at Roger’s Gardens, Corona del Mar