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Surprise! Ponds are Drought Friendly
Homeowners can save a lot of water by installing a pond in their yard. A pond uses far less water than a lawn or flower garden because the water can be recycled.

As water regulations tighten in California, it will be more important than ever to find creative ways to enhance landscapes without high water-consuming designs. The "wow" factor of a pond will make you forget all about the camellia garden.

You can add beautiful natural-stone seating around your pond to make a comfortable spot to begin or end your day. You will be able to enjoy all the wonderful colors you can use in your pond's landscape. Aquatic plants like topical water lilies burst with purple, blues, pinks, white and orange flowers hovering well above the surface of the pond. Beautifully lush bog plants will accent and add depth and height to the pond design. All will attract wonderful critters like hummingbirds and dragonflies of all colors, shapes and sizes to drink and play.

Bonus: You will be helping provide a great resource to the local bird, butterfly and bee community, too. You will really enjoy the added fun of beautiful Koi and other pond fish zipping and playing in your pond. There are so many benefits of a garden pond, especially at a time like this. Saving water and recycling will be easy and enjoyable by adding a pond to your landscape.

NV Landscape, Inc. provides water-wise landscaping ideas and inspiration, as well as free consultations. 286-8888

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Beautify your Pool Space while Saving Water
In times of drought, which can result in mandatory water rationing, your yard can greatly benefit from a personally-designed water-conservation landscaping plan. The area around your swimming pool is a heat haven with the hot concrete and reflecting water that can be hazardous to your poolside landscaping. By carefully choosing the trees, flowering shrubs, annuals and versatile plants that can take the heat and plenty of splashing, all while requiring minimal watering, you'll be on your way towards conservation. Cutting down or eliminating thirsty turf grass by introducing drought-tolerant plants that are native to the area helps, too. Replace a boring lawn with golden gravel dotted with an ornamental grass and then add a few accent plants that can withstand a low-water climate. Some ideas that will do your yard justice and add dimension to your pool are to plant drought-tolerant shrubs around a swimming pool or, if you are looking to create a tropical environment, palm trees and/or banana plants work great, too. To add style, incorporate outdoor living spaces like patios, decks, outdoor kitchens, stamped concrete and gravel pathways. There are so many ways to be water-efficient when creating your backyard paradise.
Valencia Pool Designs 367-4993