low-water Archives - Sustainable Fairfax

A lot of people ask us where we found the plants for the Sustainable Garden, so we thought we’d publish the list to make them easy to find! Native plants are more suited to our wet winters and dry summers, and are great for providing the pollen and food sources for our local fauna.

Remember, even drought-tolerant natives do like supplemental water for their first season, while they get established, and most prefer to be planted in the fall! This helps them develop a good root system before the harsh summer weather.

O’Donnel’s Nursery

Located in Fairfax, O’Donnel’s is a great source of native plants, as well as services like pruning and home landscaping consultations.

http://www.odonnellsnursery.com

California Flora Nursery

Located in Sebastopol, this nursery is a jewel. Their website alone is a great resource for finding the right plant for your environment. Definitely worth the drive!

http://www.calfloranursery.com/

Mostly Natives

Take a scenic drive to Tomales for this great nursery. Check out their website and call before you go for specific plants.

http://www.mostlynatives.com/

Bay Natives Nursery

Focusing on plants specific to the Bay Area, this nursery is educational and fun. Check out their website or stop by the San Francisco nursery.

http://www.baynatives.com/

Need inspiration for your garden makeover? Want to learn the “Seven Principles” of Bay Friendly gardening?

Thank you to all the MMWD customers who made our first year (of holding summer classes at Sustainable Fairfax) such a success!!

A big thanks goes out to the Water District’s teachers, Earthsite and our sponsor www.yourgardenshow.com with whose assistance made this summer classes a huge hit!

Visit the Bay Friendly Coalition for future Bay Friendly gardening classes by MMWD in the spring.

7 Principles of Bay-Friendly Landscapes

1. Landscape Locally

recognizes that built landscapes are a part of the larger ecosystem of the San Francisco Bay watershed and that they can contribute to it’s health if designed and maintained using sustainable practices

2. Landscape for Less to the Landfill

means that we should reduce waste by choosing the right plants, avoiding invasive plant species, using recycled and salvaged products in the landscape and by composting, mulching and grasscycling plant debris.

3. Nurture the Soil

soils are living ecosystems and when landscape practices allow the soil food web to thrive it can filter pollution, store water, provide plant nutrients, and help plants resist pests naturally.

4. Conserve Water

means using a holistic approach of creating drought resistant soils with compost and mulch, selecting plants naturally adapted to summer-dry climates, using stormwater, greywater and recycled water in the landscape as much as possible and using efficient irrigation systems that include self-adjusting, weather-based controllers.

5. Conserve Energy

by reducing the need for mowing and shearing, by shading buildings and paved areas, using efficient outdoor lighting, and buying local landscape products.

6. Protect Water and Air Quality

through maximizing permeable surfaces and minimizing stormwater runoff, using integrated pest management, minimizing the use of synthetic pesticides and avoiding overuse of fertilizers, reducing fossil fuel consumption, and planting trees to remove CO2 and absorb air pollutants.

7. Create Wildlife Habitat

recognizes that biodiversity is crucial to the health of natural ecosystems and that by using native plants and increasing the diversity of plant palettes, our built landscape can provide food, water and shelter for birds, butterflies, beneficial insects and other creatures

Buying Native Plants Locally