CONSERVING WATER IN AND AROUND YOUR HOME

The City's water rates are tiered to encourage conservation.  In other words, rates are lower for customers who use less water. 

For information regarding ways to conserve water, try the www.h2ouse.org website. It includes tips on how to:

• Read a water meter
• Detect and repair leaks
• Install water-efficient appliances and fixtures
• Conserve water through creative landscape design
• Save water during a drought.

CARING FOR PERENNIALS!

Caring for Perennials - Routine watering during growth and bloom will satisfy most perennials. There are, of course, exceptions.  Some plants prefer drier soil, while others demand lots of moisture. The needs of each plant can be found in the Western Plant Encyclopedia.

Keep in mind that younger plants require more frequent watering than older plants, which have deeper, more extensive root systems. With regards to this, a layer of mulch can be helpful.  It will retain water, while suppressing weeds and improving the soil as it decomposes.

Once perennials are established in the garden, feed them once annually in late winter or early spring, using a complete fertilizer.

Throughout the bloom season, deadhead your perennials (that is, remove the spent flowers), to keep the plants tidy and to prevent them from diverting energy to seed production.

Later in the year (fall or winter), it's a good idea to clean up most perennials by removing old, dead, and fallen foliage, flowers, and stems. Besides tidying up the garden, such a cleanup deprives pests (especially snails and slugs) of hiding places, and helps eliminate any disease organisms that may be living on garden debris.

Viewing Perennial Plantings - Northern California has a rich array of gardens where you can observe perennial gardens. Many of them have guided tours and information available. Here some examples of different gardens open to the public:

Sunset Magazine and Sunset Book Headquarters
85 Willow Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025

This garden was established in 1955 and is approximately 6 acres in size. It was designed by Thomas Church, and includes plants native to the Pacific Coast. The garden is open to the public from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Brochures are available and there is no charge for touring the garden. For more information cal (415) 321-3600

Filoli Center
86 Canada Road
Woodside, CA 94062

This beautiful site, established in 1917, includes 16 acres of formal gardens and a 300 sq. ft. perennial garden, which include 2500 special with emphasis on 150 varieties of camellias, bedding displays, and formal garden rooms.

Tours are available Tuesday through Thursday between 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Tours can be scheduled by appointment only on Friday and Saturday between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Brochures are available and there is a fee of $10 for touring the garden. For more information: (415) 364-8300, or at www.gardenvist.com/ge/sunset/htm

Foothill Cottage Gardens
13925 Sontag Road
Grass Valley, CA 94945

This garden was established in 1977 and includes 1.8 acres with more than 500 varieties of plants. This garden was designed by color and cultural requirements with emphasis on deer resistance and drought tolerance. Public tours are available (both guided and self-guided) at no cost. Hours are the 3rd Saturday and Sunday between 10:00 and 4:00 in April, May, September and October. The garden is also open the last Sunday of the month from March through October from 10:00 to 1:00. For more information cal (530) 272-4362 or at www.fcgardens.com.

For a complete list of California's Perennial Gardens go to www.perennialplant.org/gg/california.htm.

For more information, call (707) 449-5170
Monday-Friday 8:30am to 5 pm
or email publicworks@cityofvacaville.com