It's a cruel, cruel world out there – at least it is in your garden when water usage is restricted. All those beautiful trees, plants, vegetables and lawns need watering if they are to survive.  But, what gets watered?  Tough choices have to be made.

Your garden is like a medieval realm of yore, complete with a King, lesser nobility, merchant class, and serfs.  We all know who gets the most (the King, of course) and who gets the shaft (the serfs, alas).  So, lets break it down as it applies to our gardens.

The Tree is King.  The Tree is so essential to our environment.  It gives shade, helps cool the air, provides a habitat for numerous birds, animals, insects and fungi, it produces food, and it filters and cleans the air. Trees should be watered first, especially newly planted trees because it takes years for a tree to mature and it is less easily replaced than a bedding plant. You also want to give top priority to any newly planted shrubs.  But remember, the Tree is King.

and there's the rest. . .

For more on how to care for your trees' watering needs, see UC/ANR California Garden Web - Keeping Trees Vigorous or Keeping Landscape Plantings Alive under Drought or Water Restrictions