Fire Safe Gardening

Posted By Firefox on June 30, 2009

When the Spanish missionaries explored the landscape of California, they often named canyons or valleys for the plants that grew abundantly there.  Many features, even in Death Valley, are named for the native California Grape, Vitis californica.  This hardy, drought tolerant vine scrambled over rocky cliffs, or over trees along stream banks remiding the explorers of the vineyards back in Spain.

Photo courtesy of Wildscaping.com

This grape make in ideal fire safe plant for many reasons. Like many edible plants California Grape not only provides fruit but also can be used for shade. In my garden, Vitis c. ‘Roger’s Red’ clambers up the pillars of my porch.  The stems dangle down to create a living awning in summer.  But unlike other vines like honeysuckle that create a mass of fire prone twigs and dead leaves, grapes have few stems and soft thin leaves the wilt quickly during a fire.  I also choose plants that will provide more than one season of interest. In the case of ‘Roger’s Red’, the grass green leaves turn shades of red in late summer and fall and linger well into early winter.

California Grape can be used on fences, arbors, or on banks as a informal groundcover.

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Posted By Firefox on June 14, 2009

I remember when I was small having to sit outside the Salinas City Hall one afternoon while my mother dealt with some issue inside.  The lawn was bare except for a very strange small tree growing against the white concrete wall.  The tree had big puffs of pink fluff couched among purple leaves.  Years later I saw the tree again in Las Vegas and learned about Cotinus coggyria, the Purple Smoke Tree.

In my own garden I have enjoyed a large Continus ‘Royal Robe’ shown here in bloom.

Pink "smoke" catches the morning light.

The deciduous large shrub offers dark purple leaves and pink blooms with vibrant fall foliage.  The plant is drought and heat tolerant with a hardiness to about 10F making ideal as a specimen in harsh high and low desert climates.  It makes a great fire safe plant by offering color, year round interest and substance to the garden without adding dry fuel.

Available from ForestFarm Nursery in Tetherow OR, www.forestfarm.com

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Tags: big sur, Fire Safety, organic gardening, sustainable gardens

Posted By admin on June 12, 2009

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Posted By Firefox on May 21, 2009

The new East Border is looking so good right now I had to take a few photos. It’s hard to believe these beds are only 6 months old!

Yellow Phlomis lanata anchors the end of the border

Though there were a few things that survived from the old scheme, like the magnificent Purple Robe Cotinus in full bloom.

Out of the fire comes flowers, literally!

The deep purple Cotinus dominates the new East Border

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Tags: Add new tag, Fire Safety, organic gardening, sustainable gardens

Posted By Firefox on May 12, 2009

In the wake of the Jesusita Fire in Santa Barbara, CalFire officials and the USFS are ramping up their preparedness for the 2009 wildfire season. The fire in the hills above that city spread quickly due to firebrands sent aloft by the winds.  

A line of flames is only part of the danger of the wildfire

These flying embers create “spotting” where new fires erupt ahead of the main fire. In the case of Jesusita, flying embers landed in pines and palm trees or the leaf litter that accumulated in the valley of a roof and spread the fire beyond the ability of fire engines to put out.

This shows that “defensible space” is only one aspect of a fire safe garden and home. Maintenance and vigilance also are important.  Some residents stayed to defend their homes and doubtless  were able to combat the embers.  But the risk is great; on one street, fire fighters were overrun in a home, taking shelter inside the structure to avoid the firestorm outside.  Even with their heavy protective clothing and years of training, they went to hospital with burns.  A homeowner would not be that lucky without the same protective gear.  

Along with creating defensible space, home owners should plan to evacuate and protect their home with a fire resistant foam or gel such as ThermoGel, that can be applied via a hose end sprayer quickly.  The gel snuffs out embers and can be an effective part of the Fire Safe Garden.

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Tags: big sur, fire clearance, Jesusita fire, organic gardening. fire safety, Thermogel

Posted By Firefox on April 27, 2009

I am often asked what makes a plant “fire safe”?

Is it a succulent? What can I plant to help protect my home?

There is an easy answer: forget the plant lists and think about how a fire safe plant grows and what it contributes to your overall sustainable garden.

Here a few examples we will explore today: Gaillardia ‘Goblin’, Penstemon heterophyllus, Pacific Coast Iris, Malus ‘Pink Pearl’,Quercus agrifolia.

Some of the attributes of a fire-safe plant include a lack of woody material accumulating, active growth in summer, or thick  leathery foliage and heavy bark that resists fire.

Gaillardia 'Goblin' offers multicolored blooms for the fire safe border

To start the list off with an explosion of color is Gaillardia ‘Goblin’ ,an easy to grow colorful perennial for full sun. Drought tolerant and deer resistant, it is fire safe because if it’s lack of woody volume and active growth in summer.  This self seeding perennial is ideal mixed with salvia, verbena and teacrium in the dry border.  

Penstemon heterophyllus is native to the foothills of California where it shows off masses blue tubular flowers on 1 ft spikes in early summer.

Penstemon 'Margarita BOP' is a popular cultivar for the dry garden

 The display is noticed by hummingbirds and butterflies alike.  It does best in garden spots where it can go dormant in late summer, making it a perfect companion to ceanothus and low manzanita. Again, low fuel volume and drought tolerance make it penstemon and ideal fire safe choice.  The best known variety is ‘Margarita BOP’ discovered by Las Pilitas Nursery in Santa Margarita growing at the back of their porch , hence “BOP”.

Pacific Coast Iris are hybrids between our fine native Douglas Iris and other species to give them a wide range of colors and large ruffled blooms. PC Irises come in many colors including yellow, blue, maroon, and white.  They are ideal under high branched trees like Monterey Pines or live oaks in dappled shade where they can be used to create a colorful groundcover.  Keeping the landscape low and open under trees eleminates fuel ladders to take flames into the crown.

Blue and White Pacific Coast Iris are ideal under trees

Of course, that brings up the Coast Live Oak, Quercus agrifolia, the most iconic tree in the Western landscape.  While it is often seen burned after a fire, live oaks have thick leathery leaves that resist flames  and strong heavy bark that protects buds that can sprout quickly after a fire.  Native trees like Coast Live Oaks evolved with fire. Properly pruned and kept clear of dry brush, this tree adds beauty, shade, and wildlife shelter to any landscape, urban or rural.

One last tree for the fire safe garden illustrates many points at once. ‘Pink Pearl’ is a low chill apple from Australia.

'Pink Pearl' apples offer pink fragrant blooms in Spring

 It adds organic, nutritious food to the sustainable fire safe garden as well as nectar for pollinators, shade for the home, and attractive year round interest from flowers, fruit and fall color for the garden.  Apples don’t sustain fire with leaves that wilt in heat and an open canopy with little dry wood.

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Posted By admin on April 15, 2009

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Posted By Firefox on March 17, 2009

Every time I give a talk, I will mention mulch. I get lots of questions from the audience and it turns into the “mulch hour”.  

What is a simple way to improve your garden overnight? Mulch!

A layer of chopped bark makes an attractive and effective mulch

What is mulch? Mulch is layer of organic matter, usually chopped bark, compost, chopped leaves, grass clippings or a combination of them all.  The layer needs to be laid over the soil to form a blanket.

What does mulch do?  Mulch is like insulation on a house.  It protects the soil from extremes of heat and cold, and slows evaporation so irrigation is more effective.  Mulches keep roots cooler in summer, warmer in winter. Mulch can also help keep soil frozen in cold climates so that it does not thaw too quickly, causing frost “heaving”.

Sheet mulching involves several layers laid over a old lawn

What happens when mulch breaks down? Mulch is the natural way to feed your garden! You want the layer of mulch to be slowly composting and returning to the soil.  This encourages healthy strong plants that will need less care and fertilizer. Nature creates mulch when trees drop their leaves in fall.  These leaves break down over winter and become food for the forest. Mimic nature and you will never go wrong!

Can I use manure as mulch? Yes, well rotted manure makes a great mulch! Back in our grandparents time they did not call it mulch; they simply spread aged manure all over the garden in spring. It was not tileld in but simply left to compost down over summer, holding in moisture and feeding the garden slowly and organically.

Is mulch fire safe? Mulch is made of organic materials that can burn, but when used properly as part of an over all fire safe plan, mulches do not pose much threat for fire safety.  Mulches are much different than a messy leaf litter strewn garden. Mulches are chopped materials that harbor moisture. Leaf litter is simply an accumulation of dry leaves, not composting actively, that can burn easily. Of course, mulches should not come in contact with structures.  The area within the last 3 feet of your home is the best palce to have a paved pathway to reduce fuels and provide access for firefighters.

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Tags: Fire Safety, mulch, organic gardening