In the Land of Little Rain (Hardwear Sessions)

By Cynthia Houng

The American West has never been a lush, verdant place. From the Plains west, we enter a land of little rain. The Pacific Northwest, with its temperate rainforest and ample moisture, is an exception.

California is famously arid. Here, in the San Francisco Bay Area, the average annual rainfall is a scant 20.4 inches a year.

This past March and April were some of the driest on the record. March was the 6th driest March in 89 years. As of this week, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), the water district that supplies Mountain Hardwear's offices--and my house--with water, began rationing water this week.

The EBMUD would like to reduce overall water use by 15 percent. Although California received ample snow this winter, spring has been unusually hot and dry, and water reservoirs are low.

These new restrictions on water usage, coupled with the possibility that we are entering another extended drought cycle, made me reconsider my gardening practices. This past weekend, I sat down with a nice fat stack of books on gardening in dry climates, and tried to make sense of my options. I was determined to start my own kitchen garden this summer, but the new water restrictions added a new wrinkle to my plans. And would the food that I grow at home truly be better for the environment than what I pick up at the store? Would I really leave a smaller carbon footprint?

The water that irrigates my garden must travel hundreds of miles west, following an intricate system of aqueducts and reservoirs. It is the only way that the coast can sustain such high concentrations of human life.

Before development, our area was once a mixture of coastal prairie, an ecosystem similar to the short-grass prairie that once covered the Great Plains, and coastal sage scrub. These were plant communities well-adapted to wind and drought, full of short, tough plants that could survive the Northern California coast's wet winter storms and dry summers.

Can I create a garden that can withstand our climate, provide us with homegrown fruits and vegetables, and still be aesthetically pleasing?

I am glad that I am not the first person to consider this problem. Xeriscaping--the art of growing plants in a dry landscape--has a long history in the Mediterranean Basin, and there are several useful xeriscaping resources, tailored to California and the American West. If you, like me, are interested in this subject, you'll discover a wealth of books and websites on this topic.

All the authorities agree--if you want to limit water evaporation, mulch. Cover the bare earth with something. Shredded bark will do, as will coconut hulls. If you are worried about decomposition, and want something that will not change your soil pH, you can try gravel, pebbles, or another inert substance. A few companies manufacture "pebbles" from recycled glass. The glass comes in a range of colors, muted and vibrant, and can be quite attractive. A little extra compost will also help your soil retain moisture. Irrigate efficiently. Don't do it at high noon or in the heat of the day. The water will evaporate, and the heat will cause the water to turn to steam, "cooking" your plants' precious roots. Also remember that plants need the most watering--and care--in their first year. Even drought-tolerant plants need irrigation to establish themselves.

Here are a few useful web resources on xeriscaping and Mediterranean gardening: