Wait!

What if we had a clean slate……

Don’t start by picking out the plants – even though that’s what we all do

LANDSCAPING

WHY “DESIGN”?

Create a plan to extend

indoor space outdoors

Take advantage of

natural features

Assess limitations

Install complementary

hardscape

Plan efficient irrigation

Selecting plants that fit

design

Or improve your curb appeal?

SCALE IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Know the

mature

size of

your

plants

PERSPECTIVE IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Don’t make small spaces boxier or visually closed in

Strong colors in front to visually expand

Taper walkways or plantings toward vanishing point

Examples of design that lead your eye away

BALANCE IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

REPETITION IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Consider rhythm & simplicity

ACCENTS IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

WHAT TO CONSIDER? (EACH DISCUSSED IN DETAIL LATER)

User’s wants &

constraints Do you want to

spend your free time

maintaining the

landscape?

Climate!

Site Analysis

Materials

Budget

Gorgeous, but think about how much

work it takes!

WHAT DOES THE USER WANT?

Consider activities, routines, & traffic patterns Play area for kids?

BBQ & entertainment

Area for pets

Outdoor rooms

Orchard or vegetable garden

Public Area (curb appeal - seen when entering property)

Maintenance

Things change & people age Consider Adaptive Garden Design

ADAPTIVE GARDENING DESIGN (OR GARDENING FOR SENIORS OR FOLKS WITH PHYSICAL LIMITS)

Downsize?

Different techniques?

Move garden closer to

house & driveway?

Fewer levels & steps?

Simplify plantings?

Reduced pruning?

Share with younger

gardener?

ADAPTIVE

GARDEN DESIGN

Less walking & hauling Place garden beds near the

house for quick accessibility.

Place garden beds near a driveway to decrease the distance needed to bring supplies such as plants and soil to the garden area.

Keep garden tools and containers within easy reach.

Place garden beds close to an available water source.

More accessible Build tool shed doors at least 48

inches wide to accommodate wheelchairs.

Provide pegboards and shelves at easy reach—measure from the floor to the top of the gardener's head for maximum height.

Provide plenty of

shaded seating &

resting areas in the

garden

ADAPTIVE GARDEN PATHS Consider tripping & balance issues

Keep paths clean & free of clutter.

Avoid using grass and other soft materials

for pathways. They are difficult for

wheelchair & wheelbarrow wheels to roll on.

Hard surfaces make negotiating paths easier

for those with canes or walkers because tips

cannot imbed into the path surface.

Install handrails where needed and provide

adequate lighting.

Consider strongly anchored decorative

features that someone can use to pull

themselves up

These paths

are pretty

but both

have trip

hazards

CLIMATE CONSIDERATIONS: DON’T TRY TO FIGHT IT

Ours is “Mediterranean”

Temperature Range (plus snow load)

We have dry Summers

We have hot summers

Evergreen vs Deciduous trees (allow

summer shade and winter light)?

Vegetable garden in sun, afternoon shade?

Outdoor living area in shade?

What is your microclimate?

SITE ANALYSIS

Notice wind, sun, shade patterns

Soils

Topography Terracing of steep slopes

Retaining walls

Preserve best features

Traffic patterns

Hide/screen “ugly” stuff Neighbors, sheds, services

AC, garbage cans, compost, clothes line

Potential hardscaping Patios, walkways, driveways

MATERIALS & BUDGET

Suitable for our area Freezing & thawing

Gauze tents vs shade tree

Metal vs PVC fixtures

Appropriate for intended use Paving in high traffic areas

Fence or wall vs hedge

Plants Year round interest

Lower maintenance

Consider native plants

Think about long-term cost – design efficient irrigation system

Layout plan & start with key elements

Plants grow, start small

Use cheap or free materials Mulch, Decomposed Granite,

river rock can be free locally

County mulch pile in Weaverville Industrial Park – free mulch

Recycled materials

REGULATIONS & OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Fences over 6’ tall need

“engineered design” for wind, etc

Don’t try to hide propane tank

Have turn-around for fire trucks

Consider safety (trip hazards,

nefarious characters, fire)

DESIGN STEP #1

• Dinosaur: Use graph paper and make

map to scale.

• Or use available software

Show North direction

Undesirable and desirable features

Views

House, Garage, Other buildings

Trees, Rock Outcroppings

Existing Walls, Driveways, Paths

Contour of Land

Direction of Surface Flow of Water

Sun / Shade Pattern

DESIGN STEP #2 DESIGNATE THE USE AREAS

Try tracing paper to make layers over existing site or tech

Determine if each area is functional in relation to house Is clothes line easily accessed from laundry room?

Are views from house as intended?

Fit use areas together with traffic flow Are the driveways, walkways and parking areas easily accessible

to house?

Does it flow/work?

Are service areas not in view of outdoor living space or windows from inside?

Locate septic tank/lines and easements

DESIGN STEP #3 FINALLY WE GET TO THE PLANTS!!!

Draw to Scale

Choose plants that meet your goals

Select with these characteristics in mind:

Form

Color

Texture

Seasonality (time in bloom)

Overall aesthetic value

Select plants or groups of plants to meet the specifications of your plan and design

PLANT SELECTION CONFLICTS

Choose what’s relevant to you:

Fire Resistant?

Deer Resistant?

Drought Tolerant?

Native Plants?

Pollinators?

www.reddingwatersmart.com

Cool website. Check out

Helpful Plant Lists, has lots of

ideas and examples.

They’re not

always

compatible.

For example,

native plants

are often fire-

adapted &

flammable.

LANDSCAPE TREES

TREE SELECTION

What’s its

function?

Shade

Wind protection

Privacy

Aesthetics

Architectural

element

EVALUATE BEST LOCATION

Consider size at maturity

Don’t plant under power

lines (PUD or yours)

Don’t plant too close to

sidewalks, walkways,

patios, foundations

Consider maintenance,

leaf litter, smell

CONSIDER WATER & CLIMATE

Does it need lots of

water?

Don’t mix natives that

expect dry summers in a

irrigated lawn

Look for Zone 7 trees

READY TO BUY A TREE……

They’re expensive,

take your time to

look at the TREE

Crown to root ratio

Taper?

Branch distribution

Injury

Roots

This tree

nursery

doesn’t

yield plants

with strong

trunks.

Wind flex

strengthens

trunks.

HOW TO PLANT A TREE

DON’T stomp on soil to pack down, use water to fill air spaces with soil

If you have to plant in moist soil, scuff up edges of hole to prevent “slick”

sides

Add stakes around base to prevent mechanical damage, fence for deer

Top tree

Use tree seal over

pruning cuts

Spray herbicides over

root area

Trench through roots

Plant too close to

house

Leave tree staked &

wrapped til tree is

girdled

Place near downspout

Dig hole too narrow

Leave burlap bag on

root ball

Put non-porous black

plastic under mulch

SHRUBS IN YOUR LANDSCAPE

PRUNING SHRUBS

Suggested Pruning Time for Common Flowering Trees & Shrubs Summer-Flowering

Plants: Prune before spring growth begins (produce flowers on current season’s growth)

Spring-Flowering Plants: Prune after flowering (produce flowers on previous season’s growth)

Doesn’t Matter: evergreen hedge or unknown

Thinning of older branches on a

suckering shrub

See handout on website for more

information on pruning deciduous

shrubs

FIRE RESISTANT LANDSCAPING

CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

THE BASICS OF FIRE RESISTANT

LANDSCAPING

Determine your DEFENSIBLE SPACE zones and

appropriate landscaping.

Remove DEAD or DYING vegetation.

Break up CONTINUOUS vegetation.

Eliminate LADDER FUELS.

Make your defensible space LEAN (less fuel load) and

GREEN (watered where appropriate).

Keep up with regular MAINTENANCE

DEFENSIBLE SPACE – PRIOR TO 2018

Zone 1:

Home +

30 ft

Zone 2:

100’ from

house

Zone 3:

>100’

from

house

ZONE 1: STRUCTURE IGNITION ZONE

Most houses catch fire from embers, not flame front

Clean gutters & roof “valleys”

Get rid of dry grass, brush, flammable materials around home & deck

Woodpiles > 30 feet away

Clear flammable materials away from propane tank

Metal screens to keep embers out of vents and metal window screens

Enclose area under deck

Less flammable plants, watered, “oasis zone”

ZONE 1: UPDATED

Home Ignition Zone now up to 200’ around house

As a result of forensic reviews of homes that burned (or not) in Carr & Camp fires: Create a ‘fuel free’ area around your

house that runs 5’ out on all sides.

Incorporate 5’ nonflammable surface into landscape design

LESSONS FROM

CARR FIRE

Even this metal roof

started to burn in the Carr

Fire due to leaves laying

in roof valley – caught fire,

roof heated up &

underlayment started to

burn Don’t put foundation plantings

under windows (or have them at all)

Blinds were melting at this house

before firefighters doused shrubs

ZONE 2: FIREBREAK ZONE

30’-100’ from house

Don’t have to eliminate

vegetation, just break up fuels

and “fuel ladder”

Reduce fuels

Space trees & shrubs out

Prune lower 6-10 feet of trees

Watered grass or gardens

Gravel or paved breaks

Again, less flammable plants

USE LANDSCAPE MOSAICS

My front yard – well watered herb garden

& deciduous trees. I have since widened

gravel paths and eliminated herbs (on left)

against deck. Artemesia (flammable) has

been relocated further away.

ZONE 3: REDUCED FUEL ZONE

Zone 2 minimum 100’: more depending on slope & wind

Thin trees, reduce fuel ladder, reduce woody debris

Create a defensible space

This house did not burn during the

Helena fire thanks to defensible space

COMPATIBLE WITH WATERWISE LANDSCAPING

High water zone -

“Oasis” closest to

home

Moderate water

zone (i.e. lawn as

buffer)

Drought-tolerant

plant zone furthest

from house

CHOOSING FIRE-RESISTANT PLANTS

Realize that plants are NOT fire-retardant; they can

be fire-resistive.

Know your elevation and microclimate when

making your plant selection. Healthy plants fare

better.

Irrigation and maintenance are key factors in your

choice of landscape plants.

Replace or eliminate flammable plants

AVOID HIGHLY FLAMMABLE PLANTS

They contain fine, dry

or dead material

Contain volatile waxes,

terpenes or oils

Have aromatic leaves

Loose or papery bark

Sap is gummy, resinous

Examples: Artemisia, incense cedar, broom, juniper, pine,

arborvitae, bay, Douglas Fir, manzanita, CA buckwheat, rosemary,

dry annual grasses

CHARACTERISTICS OF FIRE RESISTANT PLANTS

Moist & supple leaves

Tend not to accumulate dry, dead material within

plant

Sap is water-like and does not have a strong odor

Sap or resin materials are low

Influenced by plant age, moisture content, total

volume

FIRE RESISTANT FLOWERS

Yarrow

Allium

Columbines

Coreopsis

Delphinium

Gaillardia

Daylilly

Iris

Lavender

Echinacea

Lupine

Poppies

Penstemon

Salvia

Lamb’s Ear

Evening

Primrose

Hosta

Coralbells

Dusty Miller

Tulips/bulbs

FIRE RESISTANT GROUNDCOVERS

Bugleweed (ajuga)

Creeping thyme or phlox

Wild Strawberry

Snow-in-summer

Sedums

Hens & Chicks

Vinca

California Fuchsia

FIRE RESISTANT

SHRUBS & VINES Chokecherry

Barberry

Butterfly Bush

Spirea

Rose of Sharon

Oregon Grape

Lilac

Flowering Quince

Forsythia

Potentilla

Mock Orange

FIRE RESISTANT TREES

Fruit Trees

Maple

Oak

Catalpa

Ash

Sweetgum

Locust

Hackberry

Smoke Tree

Redbud

Use deciduous trees, not conifers

MAINTENANCE IS CRUCIAL FOR FIRE-SAFE

LANDSCAPING

Simple, well maintained

landscapes are safer than

elaborate landscapes that

are neglected.

Prune deadwood from

beneath ground covers and

shrubs.

Remove fire (fuel) ladders.

You’ll improve appearance

and maintain safety at the

same time.

BURN CHARACTERISTICS OF MULCH

Most to least combustible Shredded rubber

Pine Needles

Shredded Western Red Cedar

Medium Pine Bark Nuggets

Byproducts of chipper (wood chips, bark, needles, other biomass)

Composted wood chips

OTHER PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS (HOW TO HELP FIREFIGHTERS HELP YOU)

Post your address with large reflective numbers Can non-local firefighters find you in the

dark and heavy smoke?

Mark USABLE water sources with blue reflectors (check with VFD) Only use blue for WATER. Urban fire

depts are trained to associate blue with water source. Don’t confuse them.

Meet CalFire requirements for turn-around and passing. People often plant or store stuff in areas

originally intended for truck turn-around.

Trim overhanging trees along driveway Pretend there’s a BIG truck coming down

your driveway then trim accordingly

FIRE IS COMING & YOU HAVE TIME

Move combustible material away from house & deck (lawn furniture, firewood, etc)

Attach hoses to spigots

Fill buckets with water & place around home

Place ladder against house

This is my house ready for the Delta Fire

(smoke in background). Don’t laugh. I

was on crash duty at airport. But if fire

was coming and a strike team showed

up at my house, they had everything

they’d need to protect it.

HELENA FIRE RECOVERY: PLANTS

Invasive plants like Tree of

Heaven are one of the first

things to come back

Redbud is a fire-adapted

native plant

Madrone & oak will come back from the

roots. Thin shoots to 2-3 strongest. They’ll

recover faster than a new tree due to large

root system.

DEER-RESISTANT LANDSCAPES

Fencing

Repellents

Plant Selection (see list)

Fawns will try anything

Hungry deer will nibble

NATIVE PLANTS IN THE LANDSCAPE

Common Rush

Western Redbud

Woodland Strawberry

Wild Ginger Douglas’ Iris

California Native Plant Society © Copyright

2010.

This section was a presentation by Christie Wagner, Master Gardener.

BENEFITS OF GROWING NATIVE PLANTS

Adapted to our environment

Generally use less water

No fertilizer necessary

Enhance the soil health

Promote indigenous bacteria, fungi, earthworms, and

other underground benefactors

Low maintenance

Encourage birds, beneficial insects and pollinators.

But may be flammable & fire-adapted

KEYS TO GROWING NATIVES

Get to know your plant communities

Know where the plants come from and what conditions will make them thrive

Understand your site conditions

Soil

Sun exposure

Water availability

Choose plants to suit your site

SUBSTITUTE NATIVES FOR TURF?

•KILL GRASS to start •Stop watering

•Mow short before going to

seed

•If seeding, collect clippings

•Turn under, if possible

•Water to germinate seed

bank and repeat above steps

•Sow native seed mix

•Water and mulch Example - Tomcat Clover (Trifolium willdenovii), Bicolor

Lupine (Lupinus bicolor), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium),

Squirrel Tail (Elymus elymoides)

Pink Flowering Current, Ribes sanguineum

ACCENT SHRUBS

Mock Orange, Philadelphus lewisii Serviceberry, Amelanchier alnifolia

SHOWY SPRING SHRUBS

Large Feature Plant

Blue wild rye (Elymus glaucus) planted by CalTrans along Hwy 299 in Weaverville

Grasses

SOURCES OF NATIVE PLANTS

Nurseries CNPS Plant Sales -

http://www.shastacnps.org/

Trinity Nursery in Weaverville

Floral Native Nursery - www.floralnativenursery.com

Cornflower Farms - http://www.cornflowerfarms.com/index.php

Las Pilitas Nursery - http://www.laspilitas.com/

Wild crafting Need collection permits on public lands

Limit collection to 10%

CNPS Plant Sales

When you

shop for

plants,

request

natives!

They

maybe

able to

order

them.

MORE RESOURCES

Native Landscape Design

http://www.cnps.org/cnps/grownative/garden_plans.php

http://www.native-again-landscape.com/index.html

List of California Natives

http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/california_plants.html

http://www.californiagardens.com/Lists/plant.htm

http://www.laspilitas.com/easy/deerfire.htm

http://www.bewaterwise.com/fire02.html#Anchor-Trees-42456

Identification Site – GREAT PHOTOS

Calflora - http://www.calflora.org/

CalPhotos - http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/