I can tell you what your neighbors are going to be doing. They're being urged to use "natives." Most California natives are difficult to grow, and dreary, crispy and grey all of the year except for the few cool months of the California rainy season. And believe me, that's a precious few months. Most California natives are dangerous and volatile fire-fuel plants to be having crowded around a home.

At Daylily Hill, we are farmers. I bet you didn't know that farmers in California have already had their water supply cut by 30 per cent! That means we've already had to cope with what is coming for you, in a very big way. What have we done to address the challenges facing us? First we developed one of the most sophisticated, easy to install, uncomplicated, simplistic, and wildly effective drip irrigation systems in the business. We can retrofit it to almost any existing sprinkler irrigation system- and it works! It has to work, because we've had to set up to water tens of thousands of plants here at our nursery.

Next we had to address the kinds of plant materials we grow. We just can't see dry, brushy looking plants as the wave of the future for landscaping. So we have worked hard to create plant palettes that are incredibly drought tolerant, but still produce a beautiful, green and flowery landscape year round. We want you to be living lush in a thirsty land. We want your place to look like you're wasting water!

In 2006 the Metropolitan Water District offered grants to various groups and organizations who thought they could create a garden best demonstrating how to be water-wise. One of the recipients was the Temecula Valley Rose Society. They already had the use of a three acre piece of property in Temecula, where about 2 ˝ acres was still undeveloped. The other half acre already had hundreds of their roses on display in an existing garden.

Unlike almost all of the other grant candidates, who largely did gardens of California natives, and arid, "cactus-y" southwest kind of presentations, the Rose Society wondered if they could have something designed that would be compatible with their interests and somehow, hope against hope, create a municipal rose garden that is water-wise!

They acquired the assistance of Designed II..., a company that also owns a nursery of unusual and cutting-edge plants- "Daylily Hill", just off the 15 Freeway and Highway 76 in north San Diego County. Owner, Tom Jesch, assured them that a lush, brilliant and flowery garden could be created with no compromises, at the same time being as water-wise as the most conservative drought resistant applications around. People were skeptical, but the result has been a dramatic surprise for everyone!

Wave after radiant wave of brilliantly flowering shrub-roses were planted in mass, stair stepping down the slope of the main hill in an amphitheater-like presentation, and can be viewed from the two roads that frame the bottom corner of the garden. Carefully selected, "heritage trees"- oaks, redwood, fern-pine, and gingko are growing to create a park-like setting near the gazebo that overlooks the whole garden and eighty foot reflection pond. On the west side, an arroyo proudly displays flowering trees and shrubs, ornamental grasses, perennials and "rocks" (faux stained, recycled broken cement) that looks like a small flash flood just got finished tossing and distributing them around. Add to that the vignettes of formal gardens, daylilies, cold hardy succulents, and new rose varieties introduced by Daylily Hill, and you have all the magic of a classic municipal rose garden, living lush off of an abundance of water and tender care... not! The highest water-bills in the summertime hover around $70-80 per month, irrigating 3 acres of high intensity garden!! Other than keeping the weeds down, there is very little maintenance. Designed II... delivered on their promise, and Jesch created a water-wise miracle in the Temecula Valley where it gets 110 (plus) in the summers, and down to the mid teens in some of their coldest winters. A low water rose garden?! How can that be? You've been hearing of impending water rationing and sky-rocketing water prices. You've been asking yourself what you're going to do with your dead lawn... and your brown yard. "Observe, and learn...” see for yourself- it's always beautiful and ever-changing at "Rose Haven!"

To learn more, go to www.daylilyhill.com , and www.temeculavalleyrosesociety.org.