Whether you are in the market for a new home or selling a property, landscape maintenance is crucial — not only is it the socially responsible way to act in the face of chronic water shortages in Santa Barbara, it will also make a big difference in a buyer’s mind when shopping for a property and will get you the right price for your property if you are in the market to sell.
As an experienced top-producing Realtor in Santa Barbara, it is a clear-cut advantage to have a well-maintained, drought-tolerant landscape as a gateway to your home. So what to do to have a great-looking landscape and conserve water at the same time?
Identify your biggest areas of water consumption. A rose garden, for example, could be made into a smaller group of favorite bushes or herbs. Vegetables, herbs and cut flowers can go in containers, decorative pots or raised beds where you will have more control over how much water they get. Mix compost (old coffee grounds for roses) into soil for better moisture retention and to fortify the soil.
If you want to keep a lawn, consider downsizing to a smaller swatch, picking a spot where you’ll get the most use, like a play area for kids, grandkids or your pets. Find low water grasses for your area. Raise the blades on your lawn mower — by keeping grass longer will reduce evaporation and promote deeper root growth. Leave clippings on the grass after mowing to help retain moisture and return nutrients to the soil.
Consider replacing your lawn with an alternate ground cover. Try ornamental grasses for interesting textures, low-growing flowering plants for seasonal color or edibles like low-growing herbs or strawberries.
Some cities offer financial incentives for switching to a drought-tolerant landscape or for using gray water (look up Goleta Water Saving Incentive Program). Replace a section of lawn with an outdoor seating area, a sandbox for kids or a raised bed with herbs. Create intrigue by laying down paths of flagstone, pavers, gravel, mulch or other porous material.
Direct eave downspouts into raised beds or other planted areas and consider using rain barrels to collect rain water. Be sure to keep your trees pruned and rain gutters cleaned to allow the water to flow (look up-Santa Barbara Rain Barrel System). Native plants are a great choice for drought-tolerant landscaping because they won’t need much (if any) watering once established.
For more information, please contact me at mary@marylayman.com or call/text 805.448.3890.
We look forward to helping you with your real estate goals in 2015!
— Mary Layman is a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties. She can be reached at mary@marylayman.com or 805.448.3890. The opinions expressed are her own.