Common name:Snow-In-Summer
Botanical name:Cerastium tomentosum

Masses of snow white flowers highlight this plant during the early summer season.

Common name:Lamb's Ear
Botanical name:Stachys byzantina

This tiny, herbaceous shrub will grow less than 1' tall and has medium-size, grayish/green leaves with blue and lavender flowers that bloom in the spring.

Common name:Sweet Alyssum
Botanical name:Lobularia maritima

Lobularia maritima is an annual. Low, branching, trailing plant to 1 ft. tall, with narrow or lance-shaped leaves 1/2-2 in. long. Tiny, four-petaled white flowers crowded in clusters.

Common name:Dr. Hurd Manzanita
Botanical name:Arctostaphylos manzanita 'Dr. Hurd'

This is a large shrub with showy bark that reaches 8'-20' tall and wide. It has dark red bark, large pale green leaves and white to pink flower clusters that bloom from February to March.

Common name:Mother-of-Thyme, Creeping Thyme
Botanical name:Thymus serpyllum

This evergreen groundcover needs full sun to light shade. It grows to 3" tall, forming a dense, thick mat. It needs well-drained, light soil. Creeping Thyme is considered drought tolerant. The foliage is dark green and slightly hairy. It has a pleasant, minty fragrance when crushed, though not considered for culinary uses. Flowers are lilac-purple and bloom in the summer. Attractive to bees and butterflies.

Common name:Compact Karo
Botanical name:Pittosporum crassifolium 'Compactum'

Pittosporum crassifolium 'Compactum' is an evergreen shrub or tree. Can reach 25 ft. tall and 20 ft. wide in 8-10 years. Branches are densely clothed in gray-green, 1-2 in. long leaves with rounded ends. Produces maroon flowers in late spring.

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.

Click in the green box for more information