Due to our ongoing drought conditions, fire-wise landscaping is now a year-round responsibility in Southern California. While no plants are fire-proof, some can greatly reduce the heat generated during a wildfire, and reduce the ability of the fire to travel to a home or structure.
Here are some fire-wise landscaping tips from BeWaterWise.com:
Keep plants properly watered, especially within 30’ of home but do not overwater.
Use of hard scape materials, such as stone/brick/concrete pathways and patios, and inorganic mulches adjacent to home adds to your fire resistant landscape.
Prune back tree limbs to 10’ from chimney.
Clear leaves and needles out of gutters and roof valleys.
Native plants can be used. Some may require trimming up lower branches. Eliminate fuel ladders from ground to lower then upper branches.
Remove invasive plant species, such as, Arundo, castor bean, and ivy.
Ensure that fuel management activities do not disturb birds’ nests, especially hummingbirds’, which are walnut-sized and easily overlooked.
Maintain defensible space around your home. Check with your local fire dept for the required distance.
Defensible space around your home reduces the risk of fire transmission to your property and allows firefighters safe access around structures. More info about defensible space here: https://www.pacificvistalandscape.com/single-post/2018/04/29/Defensible-Space
Going on vacation?
Before you leave for your vacation, make sure that you have also left your home well prepared in case a wildfire occurs while you are away:
Make sure to close all windows and doors securely
Remove anything flammable around perimeter of house, including any outdoor furniture, cushions, door mats, and trash cans
Clean up all yard debris before leaving, including under decks and in rain gutters
Making the choice to adapt these fire-wise tips can make the difference if a wildfire threatens your home or business. If you would like our landscaping experts to asses your landscaped areas, give us a call at 661-222-7525 for a free consultation!
New Rebate Program for Replacing Lawn With Native Landscaping
Southern Californians looking for ways to save water and money are getting a helping hand from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California just as summer temperatures are heating up.
Metropolitan launched its new Landscape Transformation Program, offering residents and businesses $1 for every square foot of thirsty grass they replace with more water efficient native plants and irrigation systems.
The district also kicked off its summer advertising and outreach campaign today. The multi-million dollar “365” campaign encourages Southern Californians to conserve water every day and reminds them to take advantage of Metropolitan’s rebate programs—including cash back for water-saving washing machines, toilets, sprinkler nozzles, smart irrigation systems and other devices and appliances, in addition to transforming their landscapes.
“Southern Californians have learned the value of saving water. They understand water is a limited resource, especially after the recent drought. But sometimes we all need a little nudge and a little extra incentive to keep using water as efficiently as possible. Our programs and campaign offer that incentive,” said Metropolitan General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger.
Details about the new landscape program and all of Metropolitan’s rebates are available at Metropolitan’s online water-savings portal bewaterwise.com. The mobile-friendly site offers tips, educational materials, how-to videos and classes on how to be more water efficient.
Metropolitan helped change the way Southern Californians see their yards and open spaces with its popular turf removal program in 2014-2015. That program, the largest anywhere in the country, spurred the replacement of 160 million square feet of grass during one of California’s worst droughts. This time around, instead of a short-term urgent drought response, Metropolitan’s new Landscape Transformation Program will be ongoing, with up to $50 million in applications accepted a year. Some Metropolitan member agencies may provide additional incentives on top of the $1 a square foot.
“Since the turf rebate program ended three years ago, residents have been asking for its return. We used lessons learned from the earlier program in developing the new Landscape Transformation Program. We’ve incorporated new requirements to drive a sustainable approach, encouraging our long-term commitment to help Southern Californians use less water,” said Bill McDonnell, Metropolitan’s water use efficiency manager.
Another key part of that commitment is Metropolitan’s new 365 campaign which builds on Metropolitan’s H2Love conservation campaign. With the tagline, “Every day is a chance to save water. And money,” the campaign not only encourages viewers to conserve, it tells them how to get financial help doing so with rebates available at bewaterwise.com.
Southern Californians will see the campaign everywhere—from a television commercial by an award-winning director (above) to online and social media ads to billboards and even small posters in local convenience stores and on lunch trucks. And it will be multilingual, translated into Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Filipino.
In addition, the campaign finds creative ways to reach diverse audiences, including using on-air personalities on Spanish-language channels, a Chinese-language game show and special events, such as Viva Los Dodgers.
If you would like help with the new landscape transformation program, our professionals at Pacific Vista landscape Services are experts and can help with the rebate process to replace your current landscaping with beautiful plants that save water and money! Call us today for a free consultation at 661-222-7525.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving nearly 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
One of the advantages to living in California is that our climate is perfect for growing many types of beautiful plants, including roses. Roses do well here because of the sunny weather and dry air which reduces fungal issues and diseases that can plague roses. There are many beautiful varieties of roses, in all colors and sizes, it's no wonder that roses are widely cultivated and so popular today. However, roses were in California long before people. Taking a look back to the 'root' of roses, uncovers a wonderful native variety known as the Californian wild rose. There is fossil evidence that the very first roses in North America, known as the wild rose, dates back 35 million years ago and are related to the species we know today. Interestingly, wild roses were also found in Asia dating back 70 million years ago and scientists are not sure why they only grew wild in the Northern Hemisphere. Unlike the modern day rose with many petals, the wild rose has five petals and is open-faced and quite hardy. The California wild rose is prolific in California and Oregon, growing wildly usually near deep water sources. It is considered to be a 'keystone' species which is a plant that is relied on by other plants, animals, birds and insects that inhabit the area. It supports pollinators like bees and butterflies and is a favorite nesting plant for songbirds. It has a long blooming season from spring into summer and the blooms are wonderfully fragrant.
Another interesting attribute is the tiny fruit it provides deep into winter. Called rose hips, they looks like small red crab apples and contain the rose seeds. They are high in vitamin C and also contains vitamins A, B-3, D and E as well as bioflavonoids. It is an important food source for birds and animals, was regularly used by the Native Americans, and is widely used today in supplements, teas, and recipes. The California wild rose is hardy, easy to grow and is relatively pest free. Unlike it's newer relatives, it is drought tolerant once established. It does well in a wide range of soil types and is best planted in medium to large areas. It spreads by sending out underground runner roots and its deep roots make a good barrier from other invasive plants. Plus it will attract bees and butterflies to your garden and maybe a songbird or two!
