Plan for fire.
By Cindy Poore
This was a crazy summer! So, so hot. I may be getting old, but I don’t remember so may days of 100 plus heat from past years. Isn’t it usually just a few (3-4) weeks? This heat is just going on and on. And the fires are not making things better.
The fire. Now THAT was scary. And it didn’t even come close to us. The Blue Cut Fire burned so fast, so hot, so unpredictably, that we were under mandatory evacuation orders. After seeing the devastation, I can understand why. They couldn’t take any risks.
We were safe and pretty far from the actual fire. I wish I could say the same for everyone. A dear, dear friend’s property was right in its path. Fires were popping up everywhere on his property. He and his son stayed behind to defend his home and buildings. They fought with tractors and shovels and were on the point of exhaustion around midnight when a group of firefighters came over the ridge and helped them fight the monster off. All his buildings were saved. Tragically, his very near neighbors and many others in his valley were not so fortunate and lost their homes.
So planning for fire in your landscaping and maintenance is essential for nearly any home. Here are some tips from the University of California Cooperative Extension:
DEFENSIBLE SPACE GUIDELINES
Below are general guidelines adapted from CAL FIRE:
1. Create and maintain a defensible space of at least 100 feet or greater from each building or structure.
2. From the home to a distance of 30 feet, keep plants low, and make sure to have irrigation available when needed. Check with your local fire department about the exact distances required in your area.
3. Preserve single specimens or groupings of well-spaced and well-pruned trees or other vegetation.
4. Eliminate ladder fuels within the defensible space zone by disrupting the vertical and/or horizontal continuity of plants.
Hi all. Just wanted to let you know things are a little crazy here in Phelan due to all the evacuations and we are not able to get to the work we have scheduled. Please be patient with us we will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you to all the police and firefighters that are risking their lives to save our area and homes.
By Cindy Poore
Spring is a time for new beginnings. It gets us all warmed up for a summer of fun and activities. Seeds are popping up all over. They are mostly weeds, but if you play it right, you can choose. Decide what you want your world to look like this year and get out there and sow some seeds of your own!
“It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want—oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”
― Mark Twain
Spring is big for…
- Composting. If you are planning on planting, especially a veggie garden or fruit trees, now is the time to get your compost pile going if you didn’t do it in the fall. To speed up the process in your compost pile, shred your greenwaste clippings or straw in smaller pieces and keep the pile wet and turn frequently. Add some nice amendments for your soil like oyster shell (calcium) and some store-bought organic compost to inoculate your pile to get is going faster. You could have a pile in as little as 6 weeks.
- Pruning. Time to cut back the driedleaves, grasses and branches on those perennials. Russian Sage will still look like it’s dead. Don’t believe it! It will be budding out and blooming very soon.
- Planting. Now is the second best time to plant. While we can plant literally anytime here in Southern California, some times are better than others. Fall being best and spring is a close second.
- Weed Control. Still doing weed preventative spraying Call now to get on our schedule.
Embrace the lawn replacement!
The big push is on to get rid of our lawns. 🙁 It does not, however have to be rock! AND it can be green and soothing while requiring much less water so we can still enjoy our yard and be responsible to the earth and the future of our granchildren.
There are lots of ground covers that work really well as lower water use and allow us to be responsible and earth-friendly. The plants on the list below all work in different situations but all are beautiful and require a lot less water than a lawn.
Ajuga
Moneywort
Creeping Thyme
Sedums
And my favorite,……Carpet Junipers
What is wrong with this picture? The photo shows something we find occasionally when we go out and do sprinkler work or landscaping for clients with existing irrigation systems. See the valves are very pretty. Tucked away in the ground in a box so you don’t have to look at them. Very professional looking, right?
These valves are anti-siphon valves. Anti-siphon valves allow water to only flow in one direction. For irrigation purposes, it prevents water from the system from… being siphoned back into the household water supply line. Essentially, it stops unsafe water from entering a clean water supply such as the water that comes from your faucets or shower heads.
Anti-siphon is a type of Backflow preventer and is an essential part of any plumbing installation which is connected in any way to a potable water source. They are required by building codes everywhere.
The anti-siphon valves need to be installed 6 inches HIGHER than the highest sprinkler head or line. This photo shows a very dangerous situation! The only way this would be OK is if there is a separate Backflow preventer properly installed before these valves.
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