A little water and presto! Mud wrestling is highly sustainable...
...in a sociocultural community formation kind of way.

ahahahaha! i like it!!! =P

do some google searches for permaculture groups in your area, or find someone doing xeriscaping to get ideas.

in the bay area we have a county group called Bay Friendly Gardening which helps folks find ways to use less water in their gardens, compost more, and also use more california native plants.

there has to be people doing that sort of stuff down there too i would imagine.
there are some vegetables too that don't require tons of water...or build a simple rainwater cathbasin and use a drip irrigation system.

not compatible with mud wrestling:

thanks mightylittle. i'll definitely check those out. yeah, i know there have to be plenty of resources down here, the problem is i'm not really sure what to look for.

here are some links to native plants that may/may not be appropriate for an urban area, just don't plant grass!

the most important thing is properly prepare the soil, check to see if your soil drains.

good luck

grasses are ok, but the fire department and garden police don't like them,

what's the soil? fine clay? sand? clay supports dry dormancy and wet season madness. sand supports slower wet season growth, but "evergreen ness". in general.


a lot of succulents prefer less than direct sun, especially in summer. yet they are still water storing plants.

another generalization. larger plant requires less frequent water. example where initial appearance is misleading: "iceplant" (carpobrotus) is a spreading shrub (though branch/stem nodes sometimes root) essentially a semi-woody small shrub, but still a shrub.

look around and see what seems to do well with (human) low effort.

thanks a lot guys! this will really help me get started. i'll definitely update when my garden project gets going. in case anyone else is interested, i came across this article in yesterday's l.a. times.

Where in SoCal? Mojave desert, LA, Idylwild?

First, I'd look into native species. Then, I'd think about adding a fruit tree. Many mediterranean ones will grow without much watering and you have the added bonus of your landscape actually producing resources, rather than consuming them.

well, i'm in the san gabriel valley, the blue shaded region above. i'm not sure what kind of soil i have (um, dirt?) but i guess like any project, research is needed. yes, i definitely want to have native species.

Cris-

first check out this recent feature on Fritz Haeg - since he is based at Cal Poly, you are practically neighbors. Other SoCal designers to look up for inspiration include DryDesign and Katie Spitz. (Ignore Pam Burton and other 'garden' designers since they have no clue about sustainability).

Ok, now that a few ideas are perculating through your head, figure out what your agenda for the yard is (beyond looking pretty). Do you want to infiltrate stormwater? have a fire resistant landscape? grow food? provide habitat for butterflies? mountain lions? cool your house? block out the view of your neighbor? compost kitchen scraps? capture renewable energy? create an 'outdoor room'? grow pot?

all these are sustainable to a degree and may/may-not require native plants.

now we can start...

watch out for glendale's yard cops

wow, i forgot about this.

so, an update: my uncle (and landlord) planted a variety of chili peppers and squash in the garden before i could approach him with my idea.

i still would like to do it if i get another opportunity.

jesus christ. thanks for posting that article FRaC and getting my blood pressure up!