*California Friendly landscapes, the latest trend in gardening, is a method that moves us away from water-heavy and chemical-dependent landscapes to a low-impact, environmentally friendly and organic use of our land.

Friday, I am hitting the road in a van crowded with horticultural types to judge the best California Friendly landscapes in Orange County.

We will look at 10 finalist landscapes from 55 entries and reward the winners with money, plants and prizes! Preview the gardens here.

California Friendly landscapes are all about the cycle of saving water, choosing plants suitable for our environment, reducing runoff and pollution, and preserving our water supply. Check out the principles at bewaterwise.com.

Homeowners who have a good understanding of these practices entered the contest in March. But you can test how wise you are when it comes to water. Take our pop quiz to politically correct water wisdom:

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True. One gallon of water weighs 8.5 pounds. Moving water from where it originates to where it is used is a huge energy drain.

Fifty-eight percent of the water we use at home is applied to our landscapes.

We typically over water our lawn grass by 82 percent.

The greatest source of water pollution comes from individuals. More than 50 percent of the pesticides in our water supply come from residential landscapes.

Underground in aquifers.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, only 1 percent of the world’s water is drinkable. Ninety-seven percent of the Earth’s water is saltwater and close to 2 percent is frozen.

Passing along an earth-friendly option for Earth Day and Mother’s Day from Save-the-Redwoods League.

“Save-the-Redwoods League is dedicated to protecting ancient redwood forests so that all generations can experience the majesty of these towering giants. In 1850, there were nearly two million acres of ancient coast redwood forests in California.  Today, less than five percent remain. Since its founding in 1918, the League has protected more than 180,000 acres of land.  

For a donation of $50 or more to Save-the-Redwoods League, gift-givers can have a redwood seedling planted in honor of a loved one in a California state park. An eco-friendly gift for Mother’s Day, May 11, Save-the-Redwoods League delivers a commemorative card and photograph of an ancient redwood forest to Mom to showcase the gift. All dedicated trees support redwood reforestation efforts in California.”

For more information: Save-the-Redwoods League, 114 Sansome Street, Suite 1200, San Francisco, CA  94104-3823. Telephone (415) 362-2352, Facsimile (415) 362-7017, http://www.savetheredwoods.org/.

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Click here for more green ideas from the Homebody files 

It is kind of like the winter bird count, but about flowers – a nationwide initiative that asks citizen-scientists, including children, to help track climate change by observing wildflowers.

Project Budburst – launched by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research through a grant from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation – is asking us to pick a wild plant to watch and report the phenology (life cycle) to the project online. Easy, if you’re out hiking the hills and know exactly where that clump of pink evening primrose is or the big leaf lupine.

For more information, visit www.budburst.org. Teachers can click on teacher resources for online climate-related games and curricula.

What have you seen in the wilds this spring? Click on comments below.

If you are ever going to clad your entire home in luscious, dark hardwood floors, think first about how you will keep them clean. Unless you plan on using the hermetically sealed system, the dust factor might have you reaching for your medication more often.

Like that piece of furniture that looks like it needs dusting a moment after you’ve wiped it down, dark hardwood floors, if you are a clean freak, are bound to make you believe a straitjacket is a look you can work with.

Light spilling into your rooms – together with a dog, a cat, a few stray chickens, a dusty husband and some drop-ins – only makes matters worse.

But you might go ahead with your dream floor if you want to try the Omop, by Method. I’m not sure I would have ever picked the product off the shelf, but since Method sent me a sample, I had nothing to lose by trying it.

Method products are guilt-free because they are organic. The company’s hardwood floor cleaner smells like almonds. Most important, the floor-cleaner-plus-Omop combo makes my floors look prettier than any product I’ve tried.

Check them out at www.methodhome.com. If you can’t find Method products at your grocery store, try Target.

A letter from a reader …

Dear Cindy,

I am a faithful fan of yours—read your column EVERY Saturday! I had e-mailed you about corn gluten right after you wrote about this solution to killing off ugly lawn weeds.

Armstrong had quite a run on the product after the article, but I am in possession of a large bag (for my corner lot) after waiting for a new shipment. The directions say not to apply until the “forsythia bloom has fallen” or the “crocuses are in bloom.”

Since I have neither, when would you recommend I apply it?

– Jeff Myer

Dear Jeff,

How quaint the corn gluten company. In the old days before we had calendars, farmers used to plant their corn when the cherry trees bloomed or tilled the soil when the warblers arrived. Since the weather is never predictable — winters could be long or they could be short – some farmers still look to nature to signal that spring has arrived. The problem is, who’s nature? Forsythia comes from Asia.

On all fronts, gardening in Southern California is not like gardening anywhere else. Warm days following our typical rainy season will have weed seeds germinating as early as January. Apply your corn gluten ASAP to suppress weed seed germination in your lawn.

Readers: Got a gardening question? Email me or leave a comment below.

If you consider the toll that the $40 billion worldwide cut flower industry takes on the environment with the herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, ground water issues, the health of field workers, and the jet fuel consumed to get our bouquets to us fresh and in time for special occasions you might agree that Valentine’s day can stand to get a little greener.

Here are three pollution-free ways to love someone.
Save fuel - stay home. Prepare your favorite dinner, pour a steaming bubble bath for two, turn off the lights and celebrate with candles.
Save a tree – talk cardless. Sure, you can say it with Hallmark, but you’ll tank a tree in the process. Instead, whisper sweet nothings with an e-card at www.Hallmark.com.
Save the planet - go organic. VeriFlora is a Certified Sustainably Grown program that promotes the organic flower industry. You can find their organic bouquets online at www.organicbouquet.com.