SLO County residents can now design drought-tolerant landscapes online

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• The fruits of their labor

  The fruits of their labor

  John and Robin Godfrey moved to San Luis Obispo County in 1997, not for its beaches or wineries, but for its favorable growing conditions.

  “We both worked at a nursery and wanted to start our own,” said John. “We chose the area for the climate, but also for the affordable land at the time.”

  On 10 acres off Lopez Drive in Arroyo Grande, the former San Diego-area residents opened Ben Joy Nursery (named after John whose full name is John Benjamin Joy Godfrey). The nursery sells to homeowners, landscapers and contractors, and specializes in landscape ornamentals such as trees, shrubs, ground covers, palms and screening plants.

• Garden on healthy ground

  Garden on healthy ground

  Before they head to the nursery, many savvy gardeners welcome spring by giving their soil a nutrient boost. Building better soil is one specialty of Central Coast Landscape Products, which offers raw materials for the garden such as mulch, rock, sand and soil amendments.

  With about two acres of space, Central Coast Landscape Products has the ability to stock a great variety of materials. This includes around seven types of cobblestones and over 10 kinds of mulch.

  The company sells both to landscape contractors and homeowners. These days, do-it-yourselfers are still tackling landscape projects, but with one difference.

• Pheromone will be used against Cayucos moths

  Pheromone will be used against Cayucos moths

  State, federal and local agricultural officials are set to begin efforts to eradicate the light brown apple moth from Cayucos. Starting next Monday, technicians will deploy twist ties infused with a pheromone. Typically, a pheromone is released by the female moth to attract a mate. But the pheromone used in this program will disrupt the moth’s breeding patterns. Eventually, the moth population will decline and collapse, farm officials say.

  Experts will be available to answer questions at an open house from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Cayucos Public Library, 310 B St.

  Twist ties are placed on outdoor plants in neighborhoods where moths have been found. In addition to Cayucos, the pest has also been found in Los Osos and Nipomo.

• Edible gardens will pay for themselves in produce

  Edible gardens will pay for themselves in produce

  Does your home landscape deserve the time, water and money you put into it? Consider increasing your rewards by developing an edible landscape — incorporating plants that can be eaten, with or without plants that are purely ornamental.

  The ongoing scarcity of water on the Central Coast, the rising cost of grocery store produce and the importance of conserving energy make it difficult to justify spending resources on gardens that do not pay their way in some fashion.

  Having a variety of beautiful, edible plants, trees and shrubs among the ornamental ones can add an element of beauty, functionality and fun to your landscape.

• Picking plants with water conservation in mind

  Picking plants with water conservation in mind

  Q:I have a large empty area in my yard that I would like to landscape but I don't want to use a lot of water. What kind of plants should I be looking for? — Bill Widner, Arroyo Grande

  A: The easy answer to your question is California native plants that are drought tolerant. The harder part will be choosing from among the beautiful myriad of drought tolerant natives available to us here on the Central Coast.

  Whether brilliant reds of California fuchsia, delicate hues of yarrows, or flamboyant blue clusters of Ceanothus, many of our native ornamentals have beneficial features suited to home landscaping. As natives, they have evolved over thousands of years to be naturally adapted to our Mediterranean climate of cool wet winters and hot dry summers. Their physiology and deeply spreading root systems permit them to flourish without summer watering. They tolerate occasional pest predation, and they are generally resistant to disease.