The Ojai Garden

Flowering yarrow (Achillea millefolium) creates a striking display in the City of Ojai Community Demonstration Garden. This drought tolerant California native plant makes a great replacement for thirsty lawns. Yarrow can be kept mowed and can even handle some light foot traffic, but unlike lawns, yarrow only requires occasional mowing. If you decide to let it flower, yarrow will attract beneficial insects like hover flies and ladybugs to your yard, helping to keep your other plants pest-free. Yarrow also works beautifully in a mixed border, or it can be planted at the edge of a vegetable garden. But since we are in the middle of an extended heat wave and drought, why not consider losing the lawn? Photos by Les Dublin.