water efficient landscaping is popular everywhere, even in coastal climates. It saves money and meets many conservation goals for water use and wildlife values

1. Waterwise
Gardening
for the
Oregon Coast
Linda R McMahan, Ph.D., Emeritus Faculty
Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University
Photo: Neil Bell, Rock rose

2. Today’s Process
We will cover
oWhat is Waterwise and why consider it
oYour garden conditions and personal aesthetics
oPossible strategies
oKinds of plants to choose and avoid
Activities
oTake notes on preferences and conditions as
we go!
oFill out a short set of questions/goals later
oPick some target plants, strategies and goals that
fit you personally

3. What is WaterWise?
Waterwise gardening
is a style that uses
drought resistant
plants to create
landscapes that
require minimal
irrigation once
established
Penstemon, Nasturtium, and Santolinum
species
Other Names: Xeriscaping,
Water-Efficient Landscapes,
WaterSense, Drought Tolerant

4. Choosing Waterwise Can:
oBe less effort once established
oSave money
oSupport a conservation ethics
oBe necessary for the site because of soil
or water restrictions
oReflect a truly local perhaps unique style
by adapting to the local climate and soils
oCreate a stunning garden that will be the
envy of others

5. Why WaterWise?
R. St. Hilaire et.al,
HORTSCIENCE
43(7):2081–2092.
2008.
• “Although water used to
irrigate the residential urban
landscape will vary according
to factors such as landscape
type, management practices,
and region, landscape
irrigation can vary from 40%
to 70% of household use of
water. So, the efficient use of
irrigation water in urban
landscapes must be the
primary focus of water
conservation.”

6. Why WaterWise?
From: http://www.clackamasproviders.org/water-
efficient-plants/

7. What WaterWiseis Not!
o Not boring
o Not all desert
plants
o Not “Zero-scaping”
o Not maintenance-
free
Private garden featuring waterwise
plants and sustainable gardening
techniques such as permeable paths,
mulch, and recycled wood.

8. Pick Your Style
WaterWise landscapes
can be austere,
reminiscent of dry
landscapes, or lush,
focus on herbs or plants
from particular climates.
Designs can be plain or
fancy. Choose a style
that reflects who you
are personally.

9. Your Conditions and Wishes?
oWell water or city water – stored water
oNew or established plantings
oWildfire considerations
oAmount of work it takes to maintain a
garden - your age, physical condition,
available equipment, money to hire and
so on
oPerson aesthetics – What do you like?
oLocal climate and soil
Write it Down Now

10. Some Questions to Consider as
We Proceed
oWhat are your favorite landscape
plants? Can they survive with
minimal water?
oDo you mix vegetables with
ornamentals? That might change
your strategies
oDo you need to conserve water or
is there more flexibility?

11. Some Strategies To Consider
oMaking changes slowly may work for you
oReduce the area of lawn--lawns generally
take more water than other choices
oZone your garden
oProvide suitable shade
oMulch to conserve water and reduce weeds
oUse targeted drip or other watering
techniques
oHand water
oGrow some plants in pots
oLearn the needs of your plants

12. Zoning as a Strategy
o Zoning is a practice of grouping
plants together based on their
characteristics into zones for
appropriate exposure and water
o Each zone may receive a different
water delivery
o A plant pot can be a “zone” for
high water use or lower water use
plants

13. Possible Irrigation Strategies
o Choose irrigation methods
to reduce water use and be
site-specific
o Choices include hand
watering, drip systems,
small pop-up sprayers,
automated links to weather
stations, and soaker hoses
o Irrigation is necessary for
plant establishment

14. Mulch and Groundcovers
• Mulch and groundcovers reduce
weeds and irrigation, -
protecting soil from compaction
• Use bark, rock, compost, conifer
needles, nutshells, or other
materials
• Place plants very close to each
other so the canopy can protect
the soil and exclude most of the
sunlight to reduce weed growth
Dense planting from the
Newberg Library garden

15. Water Run-off Management
o Simple things like parking
pavers can create a
permeable surface to
avoid water runoff from
a garden
o Other examples include
permeable concrete,
gravel or bark paths, rain
water harvesting, even
bioswales or rain gardens Parking pavers at the Newberg
Library garden

16. Layer for Maximum Effect
oInclude trees, shrubs,
herbaceous plants and
groundcovers
oCreates shade and varying
habitats for plants
oProvides structural
interest
oIncludes spaces for
wildlife
Parking lot in the Newberg
Library Waterwise Garden

17. Kinds of Plants to Choose
oBulbs
oHerbs and other Mediterranean plants
oHerbaceous plants from American prairies
oHardy Succulents
oSelected native plants
oHardy plants from California
oTrees from Eastern America or other drought-
hardy trees like Ginkgo

18. How Do I Know what is Native?
oI consult the Oregon
Flora Project, housed at
Oregon State University.
This site provides
correct and current
scientific names,
generates maps of plant
distribution, has a photo
database.
oOr I look it up in a
reference This is the reference page for the
Golden current, Ribes aureum, var.
aureum, native to Oregon’s east side.
www.oregonflora.org

19. What is Native?
o“Native” of course depends on where you are
from, especially if you want to use only local
natives.
oHere are two choices for Oregon Coastal native
plants. On the left is coastal strawberry, Fragaria
chiloense and the right spoon-leaf stonecrop
Sedum spathulifolium.

20. Other Oregon Native Plants
oOther plants native to Oregon might also work in
your garden, depending on local conditions
oChoose plants from habitats that match your
garden, in general avoiding wetland plants and
those that cannot tolerate local higher rainfall
Douglas aster, mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii) and stream
violet (Viola glabella)

21. Groundcovers are Particularly
Important!
oSignificantly reduce water loss
• Provide places for small wildlife to hide
• Cools and protects the soil
Phlox subulata and Lithodora diffusa. Photos from
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants

22. Native Groundcovers
Viola glabella, stream
violet, native to Oregon’s
west side and northeast
mountains
Oxalis oregana, wood
sorrel, found on
Oregon’s west side

23. Prairie Plants
oPlants from prairies of
North America are excellent
choices for waterwise
landscapes, and tend to be
noninvasive in Oregon
Gaillardia species, or blanket
flower, can be annual or
perennial. One species Gallardia
pulchella occurs on Oregon’s
eastside. Coneflowers or
Echinacea occur naturally in the
mid-west and Southeastern US

24. Other Prairie Plants
Sunflowers, Helianthus annuus, Helianthus ‘Lemon
Queen’, and purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea

25. Trees Native to Eastern NA
•
Sassafras, Nyssa sylvatica,
Eastern North America
Southern magnolia,
Magnolia grandiflora,from
SE US. Wikipedia.org
author: DavetheMage

26. Other Waterwise Trees
Ginkgo biloba, maidenhair tree,
native to China and known from
the fossil record in Oregon

27. Annuals can be Waterwise
Eschscholzia californica
California poppy
Clarkia sp. Photo:
Neil Bell

28. More Annuals
Senecio cineraria, sometimes behaving
more like a perennial and nasturtium
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/HLA/pls
220/annuals/annuals.htm

29. Bulbs are Great Waterwise
Choices
oThey are generally dormant during the dry
season and winters, but growing when it rains
Crocus, daffodils, tulips,
camas, iris, etc.

30. Herbs from the Mediterranean
oSage, rosemary, lavender, thyme
oThey are “right at home” in dry summers

31. Other Mediterranean Plants
Santolina (lavender cotton) and Cistus
sp. (rockrose)

32. Hardy Succulents
Hen and chicks (Escheveria), Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and
other Sedums like Sedum spathulifolium (a native to the
Oregon coast)

33. Many Plants from California
Epilobium canum, California fuschia, a “near-
native” perennial for most of Oregon, but
found naturally in SW Oregon.
Fremontodendron
californicum

34. Ceanothus from California or
Western North America
Ceanothus
‘Anchor Bay”
Photo: Neil Bell
Blueblossom,
Ceanothus
thyrsiflorus
Ceanothus gloriosus
‘Pt Reyes’
http://oregonstate.edu/dept
/ldplants/cegl-i.htm

35. Landscape Example: Front Office
Landscape Yamhill County Extension
o Plants include Campsis radicans vine
(native to NA) and Mediterranean plants
like lavender, Cistus, and Santolina

36. Landscape Example: Newberg
Library WaterWise Garden
o Newberg Library
WaterWise Demonstration.
Award-winning garden is to
the right as you go south
on 99W
o Parking islands receive no
supplemental irrigation
o Techniques are explained
for the public

37. More Pics, Newberg

38. Landscape Example: Private
Garden Sheridan
o Relatively “young”
garden also
designed to be
deer-resistant
o Includes some
natives but relies
heavily on plants
from the
Mediterranean

39. Landscape Example: Private
Garden, Corvallis
o Rental property, so
minimal effort desired
o Includes natives and plants
of prairie or
Mediterranean origin
o Oregon sunshine, Douglas
aster, nasturtium,
blanketflower,
penstemons, Helianthus
cultivars

40. USDA Hardiness Zones
• USDA Hardiness Zones are indicated in bold type
after the plant names. Please remember to
check the appropriate hardiness zones for your
area before you choose a particular species or
cultivar!
• Remember that plants in your hardiness zone or
lower may perform well in your landscape—
check with local nurseries or extension offices if
you have a question about hardiness

41. Plants to Avoid!!
oInvasive plants – example, ox-eyed
daisy, scot’s broom, butterfly bush,
crocosmia (especially at the Oregon
Coast), English ivy. For lists, look
online or ask your extension staff
for lists—City of Portland has a
good list
oExtremely aggressive plant - unless
you like or need them – yarrow is
an example especially in wetter
areas, also some ground covers

42. Where to Find Plants
oLocal Nurseries if possible
oSpecialty sales such as the Hardy Plant Society of
Oregon
oGrow your own seeds, especially annuals and
prairie plants

43. Resources
oPlant Listss. Slideshare.net. Search for
presentations and materials by Linda
McMahan.
oWaterSense, a Program of the
Environmental Protection Agency:
http://www.epa.gov/watersense/
oWater Efficient Landscape Booklet, EPA:
http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/docs/wa
ter-efficient_landscaping_508.pdf
Know where to go when you need information.

44. Resources
• Brochure City of Portland:
http://www.portlandoregon.gov/water/arti
cle/268757
• Website – Water Efficient Plants for the
Willamette Valley:
http://www.clackamasproviders.org/water-
efficient-plants/ note: some plants listed
are “moderate use” and may require careful
zoning to conserve overall water.
Know where to go when you need information.

45. Questionnaire and goals
1. How often do you irrigate Now? Prefer less?
2. Does your garden make a difference in your water
bill? How much would you estimate you spend?
3. What is your vacation strategy-longer vacations?
4. Why do you want a Waterwise garden?
5. Set 1 or 2 specific waterwise goals for your garden
6. Name 3 things you can easily change to meet them.
7. Name one more difficult thing you can change with
time and resources.
8. Pick 5 waterwise plants you would like to incorporate
in your garden. You may draw a picture if that helps.

46. Thankyou
Copyright Linda R. McMahan, Oregon State University Extension Service.
Presentation may be used freely for educational purposes with credit to the
author and Oregon State University. Please contact the author for other uses.