by Charlene Burgi
Would you be surprised if I told you MMWD is PG&E’s largest consumer in Marin? We take it for granted that water will come out of the tap when we turn on the faucet. But most of us give little thought to how the water makes its way from the reservoirs to the tap—especially in Marin where water must defy gravity to reach our homes perched atop beautiful hills overlooking views seen in pictorial books and magazines worldwide.
The other piece of this news is watering efficiently conserves the energy needed to pump the water to your house. We are saving water and electricity by planting natives and Mediterranean plants, and by turning our garden soil into living sponges by sheet mulching and adding composted material. How green is that?
Photograph by: Richard Webb, self-employed horticulturist
And speaking of green, as the daylight hours decrease we will see the deciduous trees lose their green color and begin to turn vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. While I realize we can never replicate the autumn of New England, we can find trees that will put on a good fall show. A favorite tree that fits the bill is the Amur maple (Acer ginnala). This might be the answer if you are looking for a tree that is tough, small in scale, and attractive. Plant it in an area of your garden that gets sun and wind. It requires little water once established. For a more intense red fall color, choose the Amur maple variety ‘Flame.’
Drop by your local nursery to view other trees in color, check out the available spring bulb collection, and select some tempting winter veggies to plant.
