For Immediate Release
September 29, 2009

Breaking the Grass Habit

Front yards coated with water-guzzling turf that no one sets foot in are often the most expensive landscape to maintain and the most unused.

With drought on the horizon and water restrictions in many communities, it’s time to swap out your grass with drought-tolerant and functional yet colorful plants.

Landscape designer Susan Frommer can show you how to convert your front yard into an inviting space where you will want to linger.

Frommer is conducting a series of five classes called “Breaking the Grass Habit” beginning Thursday, Sept. 26, at UCR Extension Center, 1200 University Ave., Riverside.

Learn how to get rid of turf, create a new landscape design, choose the right plants for the right spots and install an efficient drip irrigation system.

“We’re going to be looking at how use the yard and pick the vegetation to carry out the vision of how you want to use the yard,” Frommer said.

Emphasis will be on drought-tolerant plants that are well suited for the Inland Southern California region.

“By changing out your yard, you can pay for the relandscaping with the water savings over time,” Frommer said.

The classes are geared to homeowners who don’t use their front yards for anything other than show. Frommer said most people don’t want to sit in their front yards and be exposed to passing cars. Many don’t allow their children to play out front for safety reasons.

She suggests building a courtyard with a table and chairs that will give you some privacy and allow you to enjoy your yard. Fruit trees or vegetables planted in raised beds surrounded by a hedge are another option.

Frommer, who has a zoology degree with a botany background, decided to capitalize on her fascination with drought-tolerant plants during the last water crisis in the 1980s.

“I started promoting drought-tolerant plants because I was on a mission,” she explained.

Her small nursery expanded into a wholesale nursery for drought- tolerant plants and those suitable for the region’s Mediterranean climate. She later sold the nursery but continues working as a landscape designer.

Frommer has taught many courses for UCR Extension and local water districts.

For further information or to register for “Breaking the Grass Habit” call 951-827-5804 or go to www.extension.ucr.edu