Common name:California Poppy, Golden Poppy
Botanical name:Eschscholzia californica

This small annual (sometimes acts as a perennial) plant will grow to less than 1' tall and has light, small blue/green leaves with gold and orange flowers that bloom in spring and summer.

Common name:California Sagebrush
Botanical name:Artemisia californica

The California sagebrush is an evergreen medium sized gray green aromatic shrub. The foliage has wispy soft texture. This shrub is native to California, is drought tolerant, and attracts butterflies. It can be found on dry slopes below 2500 ft. from Napa County south in Coastal Sage Scrub and Coastal Strand communities. ~Cornflower Farms

Common name:Dutch Iris or Spanish Iris
Botanical name:Iris xiphium

The Dutch Iris are really hybrids of the Spanish Iris. Plant the bulbs about 4" deep in a sunny spot and a well-drained soil. A mulch for winter protection is a good idea.

Common name:Alkali Sacaton or Dropseed
Botanical name:Sporobolus airoides

This attractive grass reaches 4' tall and 2' wide. Pink inflorescences which look like wispy flowers, appear in summer and fall. These inflorescences are actually seed heads that attract birds; cattle and horses will eat them too! Leaves are long, thin and gray green; will curl if it goes dormant. This grass is used for revegetation; it can grow in alkaline, moist soils. It does best in full sun in hot areas.

Dealing With Drought

More than half of the water used at your home is for outside purposes. Studies show that on average, half of the water used outdoors is wasted. The leading cause of waste is incorrectly set and poorly managed irrigation controllers. The second biggest cause of wastage is broken irrigation equipment that goes undetected. There are a few basic things you can do to make a big difference in your water use.

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