The Dirt is IRWD's quarterly gardening newsletter featuring helpful tips, resources and ideas for water-efficient landscapes, as well as periodic emails about upcoming events!
SPRING 2026 GARDENING NEWSLETTER
Help your yard spring to life. Get fresh landscape inspiration from yardtopia.com.
Spring is the season of renewal and growth, so what better time to take a good look at your yard and find inspiring new ways to make it your personal outdoor oasis? Bring your vision to life with a little help from yardtopia.com , refreshed and revamped with new features to better guide you through your backyard renovation in simple, digestible ways. On the Yardtopia TM website, you’ll find
guides that will help you every step of the way. These guides are set for different-sized yards and action plans, with various focal points in mind. Whether you’re planning a patio project on a small budget or a huge area with time to spare, we can help. “ Bringing your outdoor vision to life is easier than you think with the right resources and inspiration. Using the online tools at yardtopia.com can help you plan, design and build your ideal yard. —IRWD landscape expert David Gomez Create your Yardtopia at your go-to resource, yardtopia.com.
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Plan: Explore yards and curated styles that match the way you want to live. Research materials, plants and decor aligned with your vision.
Design: Browse galleries and use online tools to pick foliage, furniture and more — creating a visual example in minutes.
Build: Find vetted contractors, read step-by-step DIY guides, locate nurseries and see what rebates are available to offset project costs.
EXPERT INTERVIEW
Garden getaway. Design tips to take your living space outdoors.
Korina Petrozzi | Owner, The Plant Nerd She was called “Bug” as a kid because she was always playing with plants and putting creepy- crawlies in her pocket. “I thought I would be an entomologist,” she says, “but when I realized it was the plants that brought in all the fun insects, I turned my attention to horticulture.”
What’s the most important thing to consider when designing an outdoor living space? Petrozzi: Consider your lifestyle: Do you like to entertain, travel to wine country or host your kids’ sports team events? Focus on emotion to identify your overall style. Collect a handful of inspirational photos that evoke the feeling you want in your yard, and consider sun exposure, proximity to the house and how to connect space with the inside of your home. Sometimes, the idea of a sitting area in the corner of a garden might seem cozy and intimate, but it can end up feeling lonely and isolated. Color — reflected in the leaves, flowers, furniture and other features — will define the energy of your space. What DIY suggestions do you have? Petrozzi: Don’t start too big. Begin with a small seating area or a view from your bedroom. The rise of apps like Pinterest or other AI tools provide an infinite number of design ideas. Make sure the plants you select are well-suited to the areas you plant them. Given the right sunlight, soil and water, they will grow, change shapes, flower, bear fruit and undergo seasonal changes to keep the garden exciting all year.
The Plant Nerd has been designing outdoor living spaces and specializing in California friendly landscapes since 2003. Learn more at theplantnerd.com .
HELP FOR YOUR LANDSCAPE
Bougainvillea
Style on the rise. Raised planters are an easy and beautiful way to define outdoor spaces.
Bring harmony to your backyard with elevated planters that come alive with living pops of color. Raised planters for flowers, herbs or vegetables can serve as gentle guides to help define and balance the flow of activities in your yard. Choose the style that best reflects the architectural style and feel of your backyard: • Planters that are made of timber lend themselves best to a vegetable or herb garden, blending the organic qualities of wood with the nourishment of plants you can eat.
They can be rugged, like in nature, or manicured as a granite or slate veneer, brick or stucco to match the style of other features in your yard. • Metal beds come in a variety of colors and textures. Some people prefer the simplicity and sheen of galvanized steel, while others lean toward the more sophisticated rust patina typical of Corten steel. • Planters composed of two or more of these materials can yield dramatic results. Position your planter to draw the eye and define the flow between the spaces in your yard.
Shop around or DIY it? A variety of raised planters are available for purchase online or at most home improvement stores. Or, search the web for ideas and videos to build your own. You can also hire a professional to plan the layout and create something that complements your style.
• Rock and stone planters yield a sense of ageless stability.
Juan’s tip of the season. Give plants the support they need. Install plant supports before your garden enters its growth spurt. Setting up trellises and stakes early prevents the logistical nightmare of trying to untangle a mature, sprawling plant through a narrow frame. The soil is soft and moist, so it’s easier to drive stakes deep enough to withstand winds without damaging established root systems. For climbers like pink honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula) or star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) , put supports in place now. Don't wait to react to a problem. Proactive staking increases airflow and sunlight exposure for healthy growth and longevity. Design your Yardtopia TM at free IRWD workshop. Saturday, May 16 10–11:30 a.m. IRWD’s Designing Your Yardtopia™ workshop will guide you from big- picture goals to a drafted plan. Presentations will frame concepts, then transition into interactive exercises that will help you analyze a site, explore ideas and create a personalized, functional landscape design. Sign up at IRWD.com/events .
Looking ahead.
Your garden to-do list. • Tools: Clean and sharpen pruners for healthy cuts. Add a trowel and shovel for planting and soil work, and a sturdy yet comfortable pair of gloves to protect your hands.
• Pests: Always use nontoxic pest control solutions such as Tanglefoot, a sticky barrier that prevents crawling insects from climbing trees and plants.
• Rain barrels: Clear debris from the inlet screen of any rain barrels, and rinse their interior with a 1:1 vinegar and water mix. Make sure to empty any rain barrels regularly to prevent stagnation and algae.
Tap our online resources. Visit IRWD.com/rebates for rebates to help offset the cost of turf removal, weather-based irrigation controllers, efficient sprinkler heads, drip kits and more. Plus, check out our plant database at IRWD.com/plantlist .
Need to contact IRWD? Customer Service: 949-453-5300 Email: info@IRWD.com Website: IRWD.com
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