Chapter 2
In the summer of 2008, we were in the midst of a second-year drought in California. One day, while walking through my 1940s neighborhood, I was amazed & encouraged to see that many homeowners had chosen to transform their yard space into attractive, water-conserving, & eco-friendly yards. They became the inspiration for this book. Other residents were choosing to turn off the tap to conserve water, simply allowing their front lawns to turn brown.
It became obvious that, while more people were installing alternatives to the standard front lawn, many did not know what to do.
Where do you start? Like my neighbors, you may be looking out at your front lawn, scratching your head, and thinking, Where do I begin? Before you grab a pencil and paper to jot down your ideas, I would like to show you the bigger picture by defining the term “green garden.” These concepts and principles will weave their way throughout all future steps and influence the design of your yard, the plants you choose, the materials you purchase, the way you install your improvements, and ultimately, what you do to maintain your new garden.
