It’s great that many people are replacing grass with low-water landscaping, especially in the Southwest where lawns don't make sense. One concern (along with trees not getting adequate water) that I've noticed is the widespread use of weed barrier cloth. Our Redlands CA fire stations have even used …
Drought-busting: Why to Plant Natives?
The drought here in California -- we've received less than 8 inches of rain here in Redlands -- is encouraging much discussion on how to reduce water usage. I've written a lot about our use of California natives in our landscaping so I want to reference some of my popular articles on why they're a …
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Native Plants Do Help Habitat for Wildlife
A friend forwarded an article "Are We Really Helping" by plant ecologist Susan Tweit that questions how much the planting of native plants aids wildlife. The answer is yes, it does. As I've mentioned in previous posts, while keeping some mature (50 + years) California natives such as Sugar Bush …
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California Native Plants: Favorites of Two Residents
Fall is the perfect time to be exploring and planning the purchases of California native choices, with lots of plant sales. So I checked in with some friends who over the last couple years have planted California natives - to get feedback on what's done well for them. It's challenging where we live …
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Why Native Plants? Attracting birds is another important reason
I've written a number of articles on how native plants usher in wildlife. I read an interesting article, "Grow Native Plants" in The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Spring 2014 Living Bird Magazine, which gives a simple recipe for attracting warblers, the well-loved but evasive group of songbirds. …
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Taking Care of Our Native Oaks during Drought
I've had a number of queries regarding the proper watering of native California oaks during this drought. I wrote an article on Oak Tree Care in 2012, and most is current, but I wanted to re-tap some experts for tips during this drought. So along with a quick review and some good and bad pruning …
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