We’re hearing in the news every day about how severe our drought situation is in California.  According to the drought monitor posted by the National Drought Mitigation Center our area of California is suffering extreme drought conditions.

Both Riverside Public Utilities and the Western Municipal Water District are encouraging customers to start to conserve water and have imposed water restrictions on residents.  Considering that 65-75% of our water use comes form landscape watering, it might be a good time to start thinking about planting some water wise plants, with a drip irrigation system.  Both utility companies also are offering great rebate programs for taking out thirsty grass and replacing it with drip irrigation. A win-win for everyone!

UCR Plant Sale This Weekend

If you need inspiration as to what you should plant, it is here! The UCR Botanic Gardens is having their spring plant sale this weekend! The sale dates are Saturday, March 28th from 11am – 4pm and Sunday, March 29th from 9am – 3pm. This sale features hundreds of plants to choose from, all laid out in and amongst the beautiful grounds of the gardens.  An added bonus is that there are helpful master gardeners and volunteers to help you pick out plants that will save you money because they are native and water wise.

All of the proceeds from the sale go towards the wonderful programs that the UCR Botanic Gardens provides for the community.  These events include bird walk breakfasts, children adventure series, and garden tours and classes.  The plant sale is a great way to support this lovely green oasis in Riverside.