SACRAMENTO, CA, Jul 01, 2013 (Marketwired via COMTEX) —
Can you have a beautiful garden and save water too? The answer is
yes — if the right plants are planted.
Sunset Western Garden Collection, the first live plant collection to
focus exclusively on top performing plants for the Western gardener,
and Save Our Water, California’s statewide water conservation public
education program, have joined forces to make it easier for
California gardeners to pick plants that will both thrive and save
water. Twenty out of 29 of the plants in Sunset’s new line of plants
bear the Save Our Water logo to help Californians identify the right
plants for the state’s Mediterranean climate.
“Californians can definitely have lush, colorful gardens that don’t
use a lot of water,” says Janet Sluis, a program developer with Plant
Development Services’ Sunset Western Garden Collection. “Amistad
Salvia, Hot Pink Riding Hood Pestemon and Little Miss Sunshine Cistus
are just a few of the water-wise plants that will give homeowners the
pop of color they want in their landscape without using a lot of
water.”
The Save Our Water program was created by the California Department
of Water Resources (DWR) and the Association of California Water
Agencies to educate consumers on ways to reduce their household water
use. Because more than half of residential water use goes to lawns
and outdoor landscaping in many areas of the state, Save Our Water
has a heavy focus on outdoor water conservation.
“Picking the right plants, fixing sprinklers, using drip irrigation,
shrinking or eliminating lawn and investing in a smart controller are
all ways the people can have beautiful landscapes and substantially
reduce their water use at home,” said Julie Saare-Edmonds, a
California master gardener and water efficiency expert at DWR.
“Californians have so many beautiful choices of plants that will do
well without a lot of water. The Sunset Plant Finder is a great tool
to help people learn what plants to buy.”
Sunset Western Garden Collection plants, which were developed in
partnership with trusted experts at Sunset magazine, are currently
sold at select independent garden centers and Orchard Supply and
Lowe’s locations throughout the state. Consumers can easily locate
the nearest retailer of the collection by visiting
http://sunsetwesterngardencollection.com/find-retailers/.
Learn more about Water-Wise Gardening
For Californians who would
like to learn more about water-wise gardening, they can start by
visiting the websites of Save Our Water, Sunset and Sunset Western
Garden Collection.
Save Our Water unveiled a new online web resource this spring,
Sprinklers 101, which offers homeowners a host of online resources to
help improve their landscape health and reduce their outside water
use. For those looking for landscaping inspiration, the program’s
Real People, Real Savings campaign features photos and videos of more
than 40 California homes which have water-wise landscaping. Another
dozen will be added this summer.
Sunset’s Plant Finder is the online companion to popular gardening
Bible — the Sunset Western Garden Book. California’s gardeners can
search its database for lists and descriptions of plants that fit
their particular climate zone, yard size, sun and shade, favorite
types of plants, and special needs. The Plant Finder allows gardeners
to:
-- Search plants by color, size, type, and growing needs
-- Browse our A-Z plant list by common and botanical names
-- Find their Sunset Climate Zone -- the key to knowing what plants will
thrive
-- Use the Advance Search page to find plants for:
-- birds and butterflies
-- rock gardens
-- slopes
-- dry areas
-- shady areas
-- and more special situations
-- Filter your selections by your climate zone, color, size, and more.
Then choose your plants and save them to a favorites list to print and
take to the nursery.
In addition, the gardening sections of Sunset.com and Sunset Magazine
are filled with information on water-wise gardening, irrigation
how-to’s, hardscape ideas and more. For more information about
Sunset’s recent garden titles, including The 20-Minute Gardener, and
to download the interactive edition of The New Sunset Western Garden
Book, go to www.sunset.com/wg.
The Sunset Western Garden Collection’s website gives gardeners
detailed information on how to successful use their plants in
residential landscapes and gardens, as well as additional information
on:
-- Six Simple Steps to a Water-Wise Garden
-- Combatting Weeds without Chemicals
-- How to Prepare the Soil
-- Great Plants for Container Gardens
-- How to Attract Birds and Butterflies
-- Firescaping
-- And more!
About Save Our Water
The Save Our Water program, which was created by
the California Department of Water Resources and the Association of
California Water Agencies in 2009, educates consumers on ways to
reduce their household water use. To learn more about the Save Our
Water program, visit www.saveourh2o.org or follow us on Facebook or
Twitter.
About Sunset Magazine
Sunset (www.sunset.com) is the leading
lifestyle brand in the West. Through magazines and books, events and
experiences, and digital and social media, Sunset covers the West’s
best flavors, destinations, design trends, and innovations. Sunset
engages and inspires an audience of over five million educated,
active and affluent consumers every month through its five regional
print editions — Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Southern
California, Southwest and Mountain — as well as via all tablet
devices and its website. In addition to its print and digital
publication, Sunset showcases the region’s unique lifestyle and
noteworthy destinations through its flagship events, established home
programs, licensing partnerships, books and International Wine
Competition. Sunset is part of the Time Inc. Lifestyle Group.
About Plant Development Services
Plant Development Services works
with the world’s top growers and breeders to bring to market plants
that impact landscapes with recognizable, marketable improvements.
Plant Development Services also introduced the number one
multi-season blooming azalea, Encore(R) Azalea, and the Southern
Living(R) Plant Collection, featuring innovative new plants selected
for superior performance in Southern gardens. For more information,
visit plantdevelopment.com.
Media Contacts:
Jennifer Persike
Association of California Water Agencies
916-441-4545 or 916-296-3981 (cell)
Email Contact
Nancy Vogel
Dept. of Water Resources
916-651-7512 or 916-796-3048 (cell)
Email Contact
Tara Henley
Plant Development Services
251.533.2916
Email Contact
Dana Smith
Sunset
510.682.3141
Email Contact
SOURCE: Association of California Water Agencies
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