Community Corner

San Diego Gardening During Drought Conditions

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Now that Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought state of emergency, state and local officials are gearing up for the consequences of almost zero rainfall so far this winter. They're planning for water conservation measures, cut-backs to agriculture and increased fire danger.

But on a smaller scale, San Diego gardeners are trying to figure out what to do when the rainy season, isn't.

Our garden expert Nan Sterman, and host of KPBS show A Growing Passion, has been working through this dilemma.

"It's January and I still have my irrigation system on, things are blooming that aren't supposed to be blooming for months," she said.

Find out what's happening in Ramonawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

January typically is one of San Diego's rainiest months but so far it's brought no rain in 2014. The National Weather Service said the last time San Diego didn't get any rain in January was in 1976.

Sterman is offering some advice for gardening in drought conditions just as a new season of A Growing Passion gets underway.

Find out what's happening in Ramonawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We visited so many amazing places and told so many wonderful stories last season,” Sterman said. “In this second season, we take it up a notch. Viewers will be awed by the beautiful farms and gardens and natural places we visit and the people who nurture and are nurtured by these places.”

A Growing Passion, a lifestyle and gardening series that explores all the ways San Diego grows, kicks off its second season Thursday, Jan. 23 at 8:30 p.m.

It's part of KPBS Explore San Diego night of local programming that also features the debut of a new season of Savor San Diego and new episodes of Ken Kramer’s About San Diego and Crossing South.

You can also catch "A Growing Passion" on Saturday at 1 p.m. followed by the season-debut of "Growing a Greener World."


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