Water-Wise Plant Information On the Go: Save Our Water Sponsors Sunset's Plant Finder; Launches New Mobile Site

SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwire - Feb 7, 2012) - Save Our Water (http://www.saveourh2o.org/) launched a new mobile-friendly version of its website today to coincide with sponsorship of Sunset Magazine's Plant Finder (http://plantfinder.sunset.com/sunset/plant-home.jsp) web-based tool. Sunset Magazine is also launching a mobile version of the Plant Finder, an online tool that allows gardeners to search the Sunset Western Garden Book's top 2,500 plants.

Save Our Water, a statewide water conservation program sponsored by the California Department of Water Resources and the Association of California Water Agencies, designed the new mobile site as a new way to help spread its "rain or shine, Californians need to save" message.

"We are delighted to be working with Sunset Magazine in our efforts to educate Californians about the need to save water," said Timothy Quinn, ACWA's executive director. "The Plant Finder is an excellent tool to help Californians pick water-wise plants that will thrive in their climate. In addition, our new mobile site gives people an easy way to get water conservation information on the go."

Save Our Water's research has shown that Californians believe that they use more water indoors than outdoors, when the opposite is true. As a result, outdoor water conservation has been a major focus for the program. Sunset's Plant Finder will help Californians choose the right plants for their climate. Users can:

• Search plants by color, size, type, and growing needs.
• Browse an A-Z plant list by common and botanical names.
• Find your Climate Zone -- the key to knowing what plants thrive in your area.

Because experts say that more people will access the Internet via their mobile phone than on their computers, Save Our Water's mobile version of its consumer-friendly website will increase the reach of the program's message.

Sunset Magazine created the new mobile version of their Plant Finder to coincide with the launch of their newest edition of The Western Garden Book, the West's most trusted source of gardening information for more than 80 years. Save Our Water is the sponsor of the Plant Finder in 2012 and 2013.

For more ways to save and to learn more about the Save Our Water program, visit www.saveourh2o.org or follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Save Our Water is a partnership between the California Department of Water Resources (http://www.water.ca.gov/) and the Association of California Water Agencies (http://www.acwa.com/).

Sunset magazine (http://www.sunset.com/) is the premier guide to life in the West, covering the newest and best ideas in Western home design and landscaping, food and entertaining, and regional travel in 13 Western states. Sunset and sunset.com are part of the Lifestyle group of magazines and websites published by Time Inc., the largest magazine publisher in the U.S., and a leading publisher in the U.K. and Mexico.