The ideal fire wise landscape consists of low-growing shrubs, ground covers and fleshy succulents. To help retain soil moisture and minimize erosion and weeds, cover bare ground with redwood mulch or gravel. Keep plants well watered, especially during fall’s depleting Santa Ana winds. Avoid any fire ladders, fuel-rich plantings that enable fire to climb up to your home. In addition to plants that have a high moisture content, include one or more of these landscape enhancements: hard scape, a rock garden, a dry stream bed and/or a swimming pool. All make excellent firebreaks.
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Our favorite plants, our latest projects, updates and more!
Snakes, breathe deep... they are good for your garden!
Although snakes could be very frightening for some people (and we understand the fear) snakes can be very helpful in the garden, to the point that we may even want to welcome them in!
Read MoreRichards spiny plant of the week
This is a small tight-growing agave to 12 inches tall by 18 inches wide with short gray leaves and red spines. This selection is thought to be a Japanese cultivar of Agave potatorum and it and the variegated form called 'Kichiokan Marginata' or 'Kissho Kan' are very slow growing and highly sought after.
Read MorePick of the Week.
This cactus has spiky and spiny triangular stems that are edged with sharp light gray-white double spikes all down the length creating an ominous appearance. When full size Grandicornis can reach 6 feet in overall height and spread up to 6 feet in width. As prickly as this one is, we sure do think it's pretty.
Read MoreSummer in the meadow garden...
Here is a quick peek at one of our stunning meadow gardens in Topanga Canyon that is thriving. A mix of Agastache Scintillation, Leonotis leonura, Muhlenbergia rigens, and much more.
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