Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
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Autumn is a busy season outdoors, with many changes in the landscape and wildlands of nature. Trees are starting to slow down in preparation for the coming cooler season. Deciduous trees are beginning to change the colors of their leaves, adding a splash of fall with the redbuds, gingko, liquidambar, pistachio, poplar, and many stone fruits like peach, apricot, apple, cherry, and more. Birds are flying south, beyond the border, to nest in the warm climates of Mexico, Central...
Making your home and community safer and surviving a wildfire is a process that will be well worth the effort to be prepared. Some projects can be done in a weekend or two, although it is essential to remember that routine maintenance must be a part of any long-term plan to reduce your home's vulnerability from wildfires. Wildfires can be challenging to control, and what is controllable is how you prepare your home and surroundings before fire threatens. A valuable link...
In my last writings on the art of firescaping, I gave a broad overview of some basic concepts to this vital subject for you and yours to consider around your home, and phase II will expand on that. In years past, we would think of the autumn months as the most important time of year to be aware of fires after a hot and dry summer. This is no longer the case for the fire season has extended throughout the year's calendar due to the unique climate and weather changes occurring...
This article was originally published in October 2020. The American West is ablaze. Wildfires are raging in every state along the West Coast and in almost every state from the Pacific to the Rocky Mountains. Land, homes, lives and whole communities are lost. As my pen brings these thoughts together, over 3 1/2 million acres have burned to date, more than any other year, and now millions of people are breathing toxic air from these fires. It is not just that entire weather...
When planting trees, review the area and see if the installation of a root barrier would be beneficial and save you thousands of dollars down the road. Tree roots grow where they are happy and especially seek out moist and wet soils. Roots are the lifeline to absorb water and minerals from the soil and help in the dispersal of them throughout the trees. Roots can grow shallow or deep, depending on the tree species and the soil conditions. Ficus trees for example have invasive...
With the new arrival of the international giant pandas, their dinner plate is in the making with various species of bamboo here in San Diego. Southern California has a wide spectrum of exotic bamboos that can grow and thrive in our soft Mediterranean climate. There are 42 species of bamboo that the pandas eat in their native landscape, with some supplementary rodents, birds, and fish occasionally. The remote tropical forest in central west China with its mountains ranging...
What's in the Latin botanical names attached to plants? Botanical names are the standardized names of plants accepted by scientists and the horticultural community no matter what language they speak or where they are globally. The names consist of two segments with the first being the Genus followed by the species. Example: Camellia japonica with the Genus being followed by the species in lower case. Three centuries ago when early botanists traveled the world studying plants a...
On a sunny summer Sunday, July 21, downtown Fallbrook was filled with unique classic cars from all over Southern California. North Main Avenue was bustling with low-rider clubs coming to show off their cars, trucks, motorcycles, bikes and more. The street roared with rock and roll music from days gone by, and downtown was filled with folks wanting to see hundreds of these one-of-a-kind vehicles. For thousands of onlookers, this was like an automotive art show, with candy...
Heat islands that surround us daily are large asphalt or concrete parking lots, freeways, roads, and non-vegetarian areas in our urban settings of today. Trees and other plants help cool the environment, making vegetation a simple, effective way to reduce the heat islands of today and the tomorrows to come. With the loss of vegetation due to our changing climate, such as floods, hurricanes, fires, deforestation, and urbanization, the environment is ever more in need of...
Perhaps by now you have taken the first steps to either refurbish your existing garden or create a whole new sustainable habitat that is both earth friendly and conserves water. In parts 1 and 2, I laid out the various specifics you need to consider to get started including layout, soil preparation, irrigation and hardscape. Today, we will focus on plant selection. I have listed my personal favorites and most suitable plants to consider as part of your new landscape. Trees,...
If you were inspired by Part 1 of "Going Native in Your Garden" let's dig a little deeper and now look at the most important phases to consider when starting a garden refurbishment. Starting a native plant garden does not have to be complicated, but planning is the key. In Part 1, I mentioned various sites to visit for inspiration and to educate yourself of all that's possible and guide you in the direction you'd like to take your new landscape setting. Once you start...
California native plants, adapted to our climate, can tolerate extended periods of heat and drought in their natural setting and the many plants covering the hills throughout Southern California display great resilience during the long, hot and rainless periods of the year. After years of drought, our landscapes have benefited greatly from the past two rainy winters and the effects speak for themselves. To get started on your native garden, here are a few ways to go about it....
Across America from sea to shining sea, trees blanket our great land including official state trees, which are native and grow in that specific state. Here is a listing to curb your curiosity, and a state that you might have migrated from and landed in California. 1. Alabama: Longleaf Pine Tree – Pinus palustris 2. Alaska: Sitka Spruce – Picea sitchensis 3. Arizona: Yellow Palo Verde – Parkinsonia microphylla 4. Arkansas: Loblolly Pine – Pinus taeda 5. California: Califor...
Watersheds are land areas that drain water through the streams, creeks, lakes, and rivers to a common low point, and out to the Pacific Ocean. The Santa Margarita Watershed is one of 11 within San Diego County. It begins east of the Palomar Mountains near Oak Grove, and that water flows into Riverside County down through Temecula, into the Santa Margarita River and forks through Camp Pendleton and into the Pacific ocean. The complexity of this water-flow is important to...
Flowers of all types, shapes and colors erupt around the earth at their prescribed flowering seasons. It is fantastic how nature has its timetable within the various seasons, and I am constantly watching and learning from her. With the world's weather changing, so are plants adapting to a new climatic lifestyle. Plants adapt to their environments and adjust according to their seasons, weather and unique growing conditions. Fall is when we think of flowers like chrysanthemums;...
The topping and butchering of trees in any community is like a plague from time to time. This destructive pruning practice of cutting back large branches to stubs leaves wounds that invite bugs, decay and disease that can enter a tree. When the general public sees more and more of this indiscriminate cutting of trees, it becomes acceptable, and it definitely is not. Topping can destroy a tree's natural shape, its beauty and grace. It saddens me for I know that people pay top...
Do you have a slope or hillside on your property where rainwater is causing erosion or do you have a landscape drainage problem? With the heavy rains and downpours of the past few weeks, erosion of soil and slopes, as well as property damage, has come to the attention of homeowners in a significant way. Understanding the terrain and lay of the land, soils, and topography, and how it can affect you and your neighbor's property, is essential. Water management is an art and...
As the world turns, so are the global weather patterns, and you should prepare yourself and your gardens and your habits by working with a new wave of horticulture around your homes. It is important how we have practiced working in our gardens over the years, and now that is about to change with our warming climate and the unpredictable weather, we need to be in more harmony with the change. Last winter's rainfall was a much-needed welcome for the parched earth, and the rains...
The paintbrush lily is a prolific flowering bulb in the Amaryllis family that grows and flourishes in my Fallbrook garden. The Haemanthus species originates in the coastal regions of South Africa with a vast array of colorful indigenous bulbs. The Cape Floral Region is a botanical anomaly and is home to more bulbous plants than anywhere else in the world. The Cape region alone has over 9,000 species of different plants in that small region, whereas California has about 6,300...
The bounty from last summer brought you an abundance of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, and now they all would appreciate a little tender loving care for their upcoming winter snooze with a nip and a tuck. With the mild climate of Southern California, perennial plants can benefit by being divided every couple of years to revitalize them for some healthy new growth and to propagate more plants to utilize in your garden or to share with others. Now is the time of year to...
As we drive around California neighborhoods, we see various palm trees in the landscape and say, oh yes, palms are a part of the horticultural fabric of our southland gardens. Palm trees come from many exotic locations around the globe, from the local Anza Borrego desert to the jungles of Borneo, Madagascar, and faraway places like the Canary Islands off the north coast of Africa. With this wide spectrum of palms, many types have found the Mediterranean climate of California...
How about adding a little spice to your garden and grow some exotic bromeliads from the jungles of Mexico, Central and South America and beyond? You most likely have eaten pineapple which falls into the bromeliaceae family, and you can grow your own out in the garden in full sun. This family of plants is huge, and they come in all sizes, shapes and colors. They can either be grown in the ground (terrestrial) or up in the trees (as an epiphyte). They require minimum care, and...
On a recent visit to Arizona, I took a side field trip to the famous homestead of Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural foundation, Taliesin West. Just east of Sedona lies Taliesin West, the home, studio, museum, and the land of this organic architect who set completely new standards in the world of architecture at that time and for the future. Born in Wisconsin, June 8, 1867, Wright spent his early years studying architecture and engineering with six years in the prestigious...
Forest bathing is a way to submerge yourself into nature and observe all the natural wonders that abound in a forest or woodland-like setting. When early man came out of the forest to explore his new boundaries, he left the safety of the woodlands that sheltered him, gave him a food supply and a sense of connection to the wonders of his world. Today, we also can find solace, peace, harmony, and a sense of connection to the preciousness of nature's trees and the woodlands....
Wow, that's a heavy beginning to start my conversation with you about the tree world, which has an interconnecting network just below our feet through which trees and plants communicate. The earthy underground world comprises various fungi, known as the mycorrhizal fiber connections, and is known as the wood-wide web network. This incredible root-systems network can share information about possible threats to one another like disease, droughts, or insect attacks. These tiny...
