The art of garden-making draws from the principles of scale, color, texture, and placement of plants and features. Landscapes are living, dynamic performances, and the long-term health and viability of the garden requires knowledge of the science behind what we see with our eyes. A well- designed landscape will continue to grow, change, surprise, and delight for decades.
~ from California Watershed Approach to Landscape Design
About Watershed-approach Landscapes
Click to download the handbook
Imagine a gorgeous garden: one that requires less water, but doesn’t look dry. It is attractive, lush, and evergreen—because the designer followed the principles of the watershed approach to landscaping.
California Watershed Approach to Landscape Design is our newest handbook for landscape professionals, made possible through a collaboration with APLD-CA, Green Gardens Group (G3), California Water Efficiency Partnership (CalWEP), and Surfrider Foundation.
While conventional landscapes allow water to run off the property and often waste water, watershed-wise landscapes are designed to hold on to rainwater and reduce the demand for supplemental irrigation. In the pages of this invaluable book, you’ll see inspirational gardens that allow us to continue enjoying California’s varied and amazing climate and outdoor lifestyle, while conserving valuable natural resources and creating a diverse habitat of plants and insects.
If we want California landscapes that are truly resilient to changes in climate and ecosystems, we need to go beyond sustainable and water-wise principles to begin managing each property as though it were a mini-watershed. By paying attention to the design of the garden, building soil, and keeping rain on our properties, selecting climate-appropriate plants and managing supplemental irrigation, we transform our landscapes into abundant watershed-wise enhancements to our properties and neighborhoods.
