IRWD and Extension Collaborate on Landscape Open House
The annual Residential Demonstration Landscape Open House and Vendor Fair is set for Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine. The facility is located at 7601 Irvine Boulevard. This is the fifth consecutive year that UC Extension and Irvine Ranch Water District cooperated on this event.
Included in the daylong event are guided garden walks, discussions about gardening and irrigation practices, and plant sales. Fifty percent of all household water use is in the yard, so residents can find out how to cut back on watering and save money.
There is no charge for admission to this event. Here is a sampling of what customers can expect at the Open House:
- A discussion about edible landscaping
- Home ant control, easy as 1,2,3
- Irrigation product information
- A demonstration on self-watering vegetable garden containers
- Composting – learn how to turn yard waste into black gold
- Children’s activity – planting seeds
- Sample varieties of fruit grown at the South Coast Research and Extension Center
- Free tool sharpening by OC Blacksmiths
- Random opportunities throughout the day
Visit the South Coast Research and Extension Center website, or contact Tammy Majcherek at (949) 733-3970 for more information.
Thinking of Renovating Your Garden?
California appropriate plants are perfectly suited for our mild winters and warm, dry summers.
They are low maintenance, use little water and don’t need soil preparation or fertilizing.
Visit www.IRWDcalscape.org for a one-stop shop with garden tours, garden galleries, a searchable plant database and a garden resources section.
You can also take a tour of two dozen CALscape gardens found throughout the IRWD service area. If you are looking for even more of an incentive to renovate your garden, you may receive up to $1 per square foot of grass removed with our turf removal rebate program. Visit our website, or contact the Water Use Efficiency Department at 949-453-5581.
Large Haul Pulled from San Diego Creek
At first, the black, coiled item lying on the side of San Diego Creek resembled a snake. It turned out to be a flattened and weathered bicycle tire.
That item, along with construction debris that might have fallen off trucks on the freeway, was pulled out of the creek during Inner-Coastal Watershed Clean Up Day on Saturday, September 21. IRWD has hosted this site for the past 13 years in conjunction with Trails 4All, the event’s founder. The clean up coincides with Coastal Clean Up Day.
Unlike that clean up event, the goal of Inner-Coastal Watershed Clean Up Day is to clean trash from creeks and streams that empty out into bays and beaches.
“Grab it before it gets to the beach,” says event founder James Meyer.
Around 80 volunteers turned out to clean the creek of all manner of trash and recyclables and that they did. Both three-yard bins were filled.
Zach Simpson, 16, a Northwood High School student, would receive field service hours for his advanced placement environmental science class. Most of the volunteers were from the high school, but a Girl Scout troop and some private citizens participated as well. Over the years, more than 28,000 volunteers have cleaned up one million pounds of trash and recyclables at sites in Orange and Riverside counties.
Orange County Great Park Hosts Solar Decathlon 2013 and XPO
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 and XPO is a FREE public event featuring two complementary attractions: the Solar Decathlon, where visitors can tour highly efficient, solarpowered houses designed and built by collegiate teams, 
and the XPO, an exposition featuring innovative clean energy companies, products, and educational opportunities.
Stop by the IRWD booth during the event to learn more about how the District is involved. For more on Solar Decathlon 2013 and XPO, please visit www.solardecathlon.gov or www.the-xpo.org.
Contact: Shannon Reed, Public Affairs Manager
reeds@irwd.com, (949) 453-5500
Irvine Ranch Water District Hosts Landscape Events
Just in time for fall planting, Irvine Ranch Water District is hosting a free landscape class on Friday, September 20 and another event at the Lake Forest Home Depot on Saturday, September 21.
The landscape class is scheduled from 6-9 p.m. on September 20 at the Irvine Ranch Water District offices at 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue. Come learn about creating a water-efficient landscape from the landscape experts.
Sign up at AWS@irwd.com with your name and the number of attendees.
On Saturday, Home Depot in Lake Forest is hosting a garden event in conjunction with IRWD from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The store is located at 20021 Lake Forest Drive.
Receive special discounts on select varieties of attractive water-efficient plants. Enjoy vendor displays, educational demonstrations, give-aways, and more.
Learn from local experts how to plan a water-efficient landscape, while saving money and beautifying your yard.
Experts will be on hand to assist customers with updating their landscaping to use less water, while maintaining a colorful, lively appearance.
As an added bonus, present your current IRWD newsletter, Pipelines, at the IRWD display and receive a special prize.
More information about garden-friendly landscapes is available at our website.
