Water Efficient Landscaping Resources

Font Size: + -

Feedback Print

Virtual Water Wise Landscape Workshop Recordings and Materials

Find landscape classes, videos and other resources here.

The virtual 2020 Water Wise Landscape Workshops were hosted on Zoom from June through August. Residents are able to view the recordings and download materials from the workshops below.

Installation & Maintenance

After planning your new garden space, it’s time to learn how to protect your investment. Our landscape expert will give you strategies for success when removing your turf, installing your new landscape and maintaining it. You’ll learn how to minimize your water use and maximize your enjoyment of an outdoor space that suits your lifestyle.

Virtual Landscape Workshop - Installation & Maintenance

Water and Irrigation

This session will give you strategies to use our precious water sources wisely, including integrating stormwater capture elements into your landscape and conserving water through simple irrigation system retrofits. Our landscape expert’s goal is to help you create a sustainable landscape that loves San Diego as much you.

Virtual Landscape Workshop - Irrigation

Shape Your Space

Our landscape expert will show you how to plan for the functionality of your new landscape and provide tips to achieve a design style that works with your personal vision.

Presentation Slides

Plant Selection

Our landscape expert will teach you about plants and why some are more water conserving than others. In addition, you will learn skills to research plant choices that fit your design theme and be introduced to some attractive and water-efficient plant palettes.

Presentation Slides

Downloadable Resources

Online Resources

Help Your Trees Survive the Drought

Trees and water are both precious resources. Trees make our houses feel like home. They also improve property values, clean our water and air, and even make our streets safer and quieter. When we water wisely and maintain our trees carefully, we enjoy a wide range of benefits at a low cost and with little effort.

Help Your Trees Survive the Drought

Residential Surveys and Smart Landscape Evaluations

A Smart Landscape Evaluation is a free service designed to assist residential, multi-family, and business customers with identifying inefficiencies and water waste as well as water savings opportunities indoors and in the landscape. Single-family participants can expect to have technicians review indoor fixtures and evaluate the performance of the site’s irrigation system. Multi-family and commercial customers are eligible for a free landscape survey. Participant will receive a list of site specific irrigation and maintenance recommendations and a proposed watering schedule. There is no obligation to implement recommendations and no solicitations. For more information visit: https://www.waterefficiencysurvey.com/.

El Corazon Compost Facility

Mulching the landscape can save water by helping to prevent the moisture in the soil from evaporating. The El Corazon Compost Facility provides free compost, mulch and compost tea to Oceanside residents. Bring your driver's license, utility bill or other identification showing an Oceanside address. Self-loading hours are Monday-Friday, 7:30 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and located at 3210 Oceanside Blvd., Oceanside. El Corazon also offers free community gardening classes “Home Grown” each month. For more information, please contact (760) 439-9920 or (800) 262-4168 x4. For more information, visit agriserviceinc.com.

eGuide to a WaterSmart Lifestyle

An interactive guide designed by local landscape and irrigation experts exclusively for San Diego residential landscapes. Includes design advice, plant information, and maintenance tips for when your California-friendly landscape is installed. Visit watersmartsd.org/content/eguide-water-smart-lifestyle.

Irrigation Tutorials

Visit irrigationtutorials.com for help with any and all irrigation questions including repairing irrigation problems, designing a new system, reviews of irrigation products, and answers to common irrigation questions.

Gardening Help Line

For questions on home gardening and pest control, the Master Gardeners of San Diego have a free telephone “Hotline” that the public can call Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at (858) 694-2860.

California Native Plant Society, San Diego Chapter

A great resource for information on native plants - where to buy them, how to install them and how to maintain them. For more information, visit cnpssd.org.

Native Plant Club, Buena Vista Audubon

The Buena Vista Native Plant Club is a recognized resource for north county native plant gardeners. The club meets on the 3rd Sunday of the month at the Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center, 2202 S. Coast Hwy, Oceanside. For more information, visit Native Plant Club.

Be Water Wise

A great resource for information on rebates, plants, design and irrigation tips. For more information, visit bewaterwise.com.

Here is a direct link to the BeWaterWise Gardening with California Friendly Plants page.

Water Conservation Garden

The Water Conservation Garden has nearly five acres of displays that showcase water conservation through a series of beautiful themed gardens, such as a native plant garden and a vegetable garden, as well as how-to displays such as mulch and irrigation exhibits. Admission is free, and the Garden can be viewed on a self-guided tour, or through one of their programs. For more information, visit thegarden.org.