October 10, 2009 (El Cajon)--Do watering restrictions put a damper on your gardening enthusiasm? The City of El Cajon’s Community Development Department hosts a workshop Tuesday afternoon on how to landscape your home during this time of heightened water conservation.  To author and gardening designer Scott Calhoun, working with drought conditions is exciting and can take gardens in new unexpected directions. Hiss presentation is not just about planting tougher plants and using more efficient irrigation methods, it’s all about creating stunning beauty in harsh situations.

This class showcases some of the dynamic and thrifty strategies he uses in the hottest and driest environments in the country, and get some ideas on how to apply them in your own garden. The workshop will be held Tuesday, October 13th, in the City Council Chambers ladjacent to City Hall at 200 Civic Center Way, in El Cajon. Registration is 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., and the workshop is from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

June 2, 2009 (El Cajon)--On June 1, the City of San Diego’s mandatory water restrictions go into effect. http://www.sandiego.gov/water/conservation/drought/droughtlevels2.shtml.
By July 1, most other water districts in San Diego County will also be implementing restrictions. http://www.sdcwa.org/manage/droughtordinance_agencies.phtml. Fortunately,
the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College has plenty of tools to help you deal with impending water restrictions.

April 28, 2009 (El Cajon)--The Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College celebrated its tenth birthday on Saturday, April 25. Garden Executive Director Marty Eberhardt commented on the remarkable timing of the event. “Just two days ago, the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors declared a Level 2 Drought Alert, which means that retail agencies will soon be instituting water restrictions. This is exactly the kind of situation that the founding agencies foresaw.”

Learn How to Weather the Water Challenge at Earth Day April 19 By Sylvia Hampton April 1, 2009 (San Diego)--San Diego County’s biggest environmental challenge is WATER. We live in a desert but act like we live on a tropical island. Our supply is decreasing while our population is increasing. Climate Change is not helping. When we bought a new home in 1996, my husband and I were told we had to have a grass lawn or we would be in violation of the code of conduct for Scripps Ranch residents. Our neighbor across the street ignored that and put in a smart drought-resistant landscape.