S&S Seeds, the Industry Leaders in low water California
native plants, installs a Demonstration Garden of Water Wise Lawn
Alternatives in Carpinteria CA. We are proud to support low
water landscaping initiatives with these new plant materials and
efficient irrigation systems.
Working with Landscape Architect Gregory Mendonsa of Arcadia
Studio, Santa Barbara and contractor Jim Talley/ Complete Landscape
Services, S&S Seeds installed nearly 6,000 Sf of low water, low
maintenance lawn alternatives at our front yard location in
Carpinteria. Using state of the art irrigation design and
materials, including the highly efficient Rainbird XFS subsurface
drip line combined with Rainbird 1812 -12" stream rotor popups we
are able to grow & display beautiful, lush green turf
alternatives using minimal irrigation water.
Native California Grass Sod blends grown by Delta Bluegrass Co.
will require approximately 50% less water than traditional turf
type tall fescue varieties once established. In addition 'Kurapia'
an evergreen, spreading ground cover in SOD form was installed to
introduce our clients to this beautiful turfgrass alternative.
Kurapia requires little maintenance and needs 60% less water than
cool season turfgrasses. Once established Kurapia can be irrigated
as low as 20% of ETo by drip irrigation and outperformed other
turfgrasses in survivability and appearance at 40% ETo by sprinkler
irrigation, as tested at UC Riverside.
The demonstration garden includes these four low water Turfgrass
alternatives:
NATIVE MOW FREE™ SOD, A BLEND OF NATIVE CALIFORNIA FESCUE
GRASSES
A low maintenance compliment to natural landscapes. This
versatile grass mixture can be maintained as a turf lawn or
left unmowed. This blend of Native Fescues will grow tall, then
lean over for an informal meadow appearance.
- Western Mokelumne fescue- Festuca occidentalis
- Idaho fescue- Festuca idahoensis
- Molate fescue- Festuca rubra 'Molate'
NATIVE BENTGRASS/ AGROSTIS PALLENS SOD:
The industry's 1st choice for native lawn areas. Native
Bentgrass™ delivers excellent durability, exceptional recovery and
a dark green turf mat. Spreading form with below ground rhizomes
and stolons above ground.
KURAPIA/ LIPPIA NODIFLORA L.'KURAPIA' HYBRID, SOD
Kurapia is an attractive vigorous, evergreen groundcover which
requires very little water. The plant tolerates light to
moderate traffic, is shade tolerant, and will develop roots to 5'
depth.
CAREX PRAEGRACILLIS, CLUSTERED FIELD SEDGE,
Plugs are planted at 9"-18" OC growing to 12" tall to create a
meadow-like lawn alternative. Carex can be planted in summer, likes
full sun exposure, tolerates wet and dry soil conditions, moderate
foot traffic and alkaline soils.
