It has been six weeks since the last post – shame on me! I really am trying to be better about this and do hope that I have not lost too many of you. After posting on October 18th I went into plant sale mode, preparing for the annual plant sale for the San Gabriel […]
lawn-reduction
Front yard plans
As you may remember, we had to remove a diseased, old avocado tree in our front yard last year (RIP Avocado). Since the avocado was removed we have had some pretty hot, dry and wet (summer rains!?) weather. Needless to say, the loss of the tree has had a big impact on the front yard. […]
Create your own garden paradise
Walking on a quiet street in a Los Angeles suburb, my eighty-year-old father and I approached a lovely adobe home. As we walked along, I noticed that he was slowly shaking his head as he simply stated, “It’s not for me.” I was showing him a garden in my neighborhood that I was especially fond […]
From Lawn to Native Plant Garden
If you’ve been wanting to transition from a lawn to a sustainable native garden, horticulturist Barbara Eisenstein has tips to help you get started. Eisenstein will discuss topics ranging from lawn removal and garden preparation to plant selection.
Make every drop count
The big news continues to be the ongoing drought in California, which is interesting since we rarely get any rain from April through November. Once we got half way through January we started feeling uncomfortable and things did not improve in February and March. The snow pack is at about 1% of average for this […]
What’s happening in Wild Suburbia
Today I started a new way to report on what’s going on in Wild Suburbia. Up until now there was merely a list of gardening tasks that I wrote up way back in 2009 when I was preparing for my son’s backyard wedding. I am planning (and hoping) to upload a handful of garden pictures to […]
Drought and the garden
The news reports on California’s drought are dire. However, the drought did not happen overnight, we are now in our fourth year of drought. Nevertheless, for years my city, South Pasadena, like many others, did not take a proactive role on water conservation. The lushness of South Pasadena is apparent every time one crosses into the city. Designated […]
Smother it
It is already March and if you have not planted your native plant garden you might want to consider putting it off until next year. Once again this rain year is turning out to be rather disappointing, and it does not look like we will be seeing noticeable amounts this spring. Although the numbers are […]
Is the rebate worth it?
My city, South Pasadena, and many others are offering rebates for converting lawns to reduced water-use landscapes. The current rebate program is scheduled to end on June 30, 2015. Clearly, lawn reduction through neglect, as described in the previous blog post, will not get you the rebate! If you are interested in pursuing it, then you […]
Neglect
The first method of lawn removal listed on the Lawn Removal Methods: Pros and Cons sheet is neglect. I have used this method more than any other in reducing the turf-covering in my yard. And yes it does work, but as noted in the con category, it takes time, requiring a good bit of patience. […]