Focus on Pass area business: Drought Solutions

In the desert, where ecologically incorrect verdant lawns are trendy, not everyone has the 25 years of experience in landscape management and water conservation that Susan Savolainen can provide when it comes to figuring out why some spots of the lawn are less green than others.

At her home in Banning, her front yard is a landscaped example of what can be done with drought-tolerant plants, interspersed with geranium incanum, irises, star jasmine, rosemary, and an eastern red bud shrub.

Her backyard is a manicured emerald exhibit of what a carefully watered lawn can look like.

You dont have to sacrifice your lawn and have an entirely desolate desert landscape, Savolainen says. There are ways you can reduce or replace grass to reduce water usage and lower your water bills.

Savolainen founded her company over the summer, realizing that a lot of people in the Pass area could use some sage advice in how to conserve water and create landscapes that dont need to be intensely watered.

She has a degree in ornamental horticulture from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and is a certified irrigation auditor who worked for the Western Region Metropolitan Water District for 25 years.

Her time with the water district helped hone an appreciation for conservation and environmental preservation, she says.

Ever since I was a little girl, I enjoyed working in the yard, playing with plants, Savolainen says. Now that were in a drought, there are ways we can save water.

According to Savolainen, some common issues that she encounters when providing consultations, are sprinkler systems that use too much pressure for the lawns theyre being used on; others are simply blocked or broken.

For those who wish to reduce their reliance on watering lawns, Savolainen believes that many of the Web sites people go to for information on gardening, and TV shows like HGTV, have tactics and plants more suitable for lawns back east, and dont always apply to the Southern California desert.

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Focus on Pass area business: Drought Solutions