They are colorful and easy to care for.

They are actively gorwing in summer, making them less likely to burn easily.

Roses require regular maintenance while not building up dead material at their centers, thus making them less flammable when flying embers blow into your yard from a wildfire.
I took these photos of the Groundcover Rose, ‘Happy Chappy’ that is making a great show in my new garden in Cottonwood. Blooms are born in clusters and start bright salmon orange and fade to medium pink. The plant spreads to about 4ft across and arching canes seem to grow up to 2ft tall. Very disease resistant with little sign of mildew or black spot in the few years of have had it.
Groundcover roses should be sheared in spring just as new growth starts and again in midsummer after the first flush of bloom. You can cut them back hard every few years to renew the entire plant.
Groundcover roses like ‘Happy Chappy’ do best with regular waterings, but I have found they can be pretty tough as long as get a deep watering every week or so.
‘Happy Chappy’ is available via mail order from Jackson and Perkins Roses, www.jacksonandperkins.com and from local independent garden centers right now in bloom.

'Happy Chappy' showing three-tone blooms

I mean not Jack Benny cheap; he used to say that when he opened his wallet he could hear birds sing (Cheap, cheap, cheap).  But I have a habit of being a bit conservative when I am purchasing new plants.  About a month ago I was immersed in the plant utopia that is the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show Plant Market.  Of course I found some choice new finds for the garden, but after making some well thought out purchases, I instantly regretted it.  Not because the plants aren’t awesome, but that I should have bought AT LEAST 3 of each!.

Dykia 'Burgundy Ice' awaits planting at FireSafe Gardens

Any good gardener knows that groups of the same plant in odd numbers, IE 3, 5 or 7 makes the best impact when you are designing a new bed or border. One of this and one of that is good when you are using a big specimen, but if you want to create garden harmony, you want to build a solid group of each perennial or shrub and then repeat that same group somewhere else in the garden to create a unified and interesting scheme.   So when I choose the ‘Burgundy Ice’ Dyckia (www.provenwinners.com), a truly exotic-looking hardy bromelliad, I should have grabbed three, not just one.  This plant looks like a dark glossy sunburst starfish arching it’s spiny legs out in a spreading rosette.  Ideal in pots, but since it should be somewhat hardy in my USDA 9 and Sunset 9 zone garden here in far NorCal, I need three to make in impact under the rising stems of Chamaerops humilis in my new Exotic Garden. Of course, dykia is another IDEAL fire-safe plant with it’s tough fibrous leaves and tight rosette form which give no purchase to flying brands or builds up burnable leaf litter. Further it is very water wise, another important aspect of any new sustainable, fire safe garden.

So now I am regretting being so cheap, since I will now spend extra cash on having new specimens shipped from Gold Rush Nursery in Aptos (www.goldrushnursery.com).  Lesson: be decisive.  Grab three and make an impression.

Feel free to email me at dave@firesafegarden for comments or questions.

Lean, Clean and Green: the first 30 feet.

Lean: *Create an open area near the house free of fuels, woodpiles, and clutter.

*Ideally have a solid paved or clean, raked gravel walkway that allows room to walk the entire perimeter of the home.

Clean: *Instead of decks and wood patio furniture create flagstone patios, textured concrete driveways, and ramps.

*Use built-in seat walls, decorative rockwork, and built-in bbq’s with open spaces for entertaining.

Green: *Create an edible garden!  Cluster plants according to water use with edibles, flowers, roses, and small manageable turf areas closest to the home.

*Use masses of groundcovers, flowering drought tolerant perennials, irises, and succulents to add visual interest.  Mass shrubs in groups spaced at least 8ft apart.

*Place small ornamental or fruit/citrus trees 15 feet or more from house, thin branches to keep an open, attractive look!

*Make sure that plants are groomed and irrigated regularly to encourage healthy, green growth.  Remove dead or dry stems.

Deer: The only effective way to deal with deer is with fencing.  In the fire safe garden, try a pair of parallel 4ft post and rail fences in-filled with wire, 4 feet apart.  Use self-closing gates at entry points.  If you need height, think of topping the fence with a decorative pergola to support native vines like pipe vine or clematis.

Privacy screens or view blocking:

Use the rule of thumb: place single specimens or small groups of trees or tall shrubs directly in front of what you want to screen.  Just like holding your thumb in front of your face to hide an object in the distance.   Don’t plant a flammable “fuse” of hedging material that costs too much money, requires too much maintenance!

Be a good gardener!

Healthy, fire-safe plants thrive on good soil preparation, mulching and deep, water-wise irrigation.

*Start out right with lots of compost and organic matter tilled into the soil at planting time.

*Build the soil by adding compost and mulch to top-dress the garden in spring and fall.  *Use drip systems set to irrigate DEEPLY each week to keep plants looking their best!

*When plantings become woody or overgrown, Let’s Face it, Time to Replace It!  Old dry shrubs burns easily, no matter the type of plant, so recognize old shrubs that need to be replaced with something new and vigorous.

Learn More: http://www.fire.ca.gov/communications/communications_firesafety_100feet.php

Gaillardia shines in the center of this fire safe combo

The combo features Aloe x nobilis with red blooms, purple flowers from Teuchrium, Scarlet Flower Carpet rose, Gaillardia Goblin, Gold strap leaves of Phormium, plus blue Perovskia Longin, and the purple leaves of Prunus cistiana, the native Sand Cherry.

A low carpet of purple flowered hardy iceplant, Delosperma cooperi, and Santa Cruz oregano fill out the edge.

The combo provides nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds, while being very drought tolerant for sunny spots. There is lots of interesting foliage to keep the look strong all year.

Learn more about Fire safe plants by picking up Douglas Kent’s excellent book, Firescaping.

Preview the book online by clicking the bookcover:

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

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

Save 10% on LEEDS certified Botanist furniture with Offer Code:BOT_AF_DE

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.