Gollini,
Wanna really reduce your HOA fees, complain to your HOA about how badly your irrigation system is designed and maintained, eg, sprinklers coming on during day time, sidewalk all wet (bad sprinkler placement or wrong head used) water pooling (overwatering), sprinkler clogs (dry dead plants), most turf is over watered (grass looks brown and smells rotting), most ornamentals are overwatered (leafs look brown), any city maintenance super in the landscape department can vouch for that, and a good landscape architect/irrigation designer/maintenance super can tweak the irrigation system or even better yet, redesign it, upgrade the irrigation controllers to ones with satellite weather communication to respond to humidity and precipitation, the cost is well worth if, a water audit can safe thousands every year.... I've moved here recently from iowa and I was shocked by the amount of irrigation needs here just to satisfy the suburban needs for ornamentals and 'green' belts when it is really not green at all, sadly, the california mentality that 'native' drought tolerant plants are bad, dry and ugly created this situation. I understand that wild fires is an issue with native planting, but with good planning and fuel modifications plans (from our recent fire, homes that were safe while the next door was not can testify to this) and creative landscape design can go a long way, wildflowers are low maintenance, unlike some ornamentals that get gnarly the minute your gardener misses a day or morning labor, they are so heavily used in child play areas where bees love them,
