This garden was selected to represent the tour by Emily Green on Chance of Rain in 2010. Last year the homeowners remodeled - this year it is back and even more spectacular! There is always something remarkable occurring in this garden. I walk past this house nearly every morning and it is a treat to watch the cactus and succulents as they bloom.
Both front and back are a DIY project (this accounts for the relatively haphazard design). They started the front about eight years ago because they didn't want to maintain a lawn (watering costs, etc.). They purchased some of the cacti -- others arrived via "less direct" routes. Several of the cacti yield fruit that some people enjoy. The last two years -- they last showcased the garden in 2009 -- have seen some significant growth in all of the plants. A few had to be removed to accommodate a remodeling, but, for the most part, they managed to keep the garden intact. The garden takes virtually no watering -- maybe every couple of months during the dry season.
They have also installed a solar electrical system that provides 80% of their power. The system is leased, rather than purchased. Between the DWP electrical bill and the monthly lease, they pay approximately $59.00 per month for electricity.
They've made several other environmentally -- and economically -- beneficial changes as well, and will happily discuss them with interested people on the tour. They have installed a “loop” hot water line, along with a small pump that keeps the hot water circulating through the loop to the showers at the far end of the house. As a result, they save about 2 gallons of water per shower, plus much water at both bathroom faucets. They have also installed a flow valve on the showerhead in the master bedroom. It isn’t designed to shut the water off completely, but it allows them to greatly reduce the flow while shampooing and lathering. Lastly – and this is a very simple improvement – they have turned the flow valves under each of the bathroom sinks down to about 50%. That’s more than enough for hand/face washing, and it saves a good deal of water.
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