California Gardening: Plant Files thin on CA Natives, 1 by KaperC

KaperC wrote:
Chuck,

Yes it is a lot of ground. We were looking for a smaller lot, but they're hard to come by in this area. Any further inland would be too hot for my Yorkshire-born husband. We are consulting with a CA natives landscaper, but doing the work ourselves. We're on a slight hill (huff & puffer), and our lot is skinny going across it, then down into the wooded area where the toyon is. The house sits on a cut and fill pad -- so we have an up-slope and a down-slope with what we call our terrace in the middle, where we've put a ramada. We are landscaping with natives and fruit trees, but I have some outdoor orchids, a small wisteria, and I'm going to try some plumeria in pots as well -- just because I like them so much!

I'm trying my hand at vegetables in a raised bed -- fumbling, but perservering. This weekend we're planting six espaliered apple trees on the edge of the terrace.

Our first planting late last summer of 120 on the up-slope was a killer, I can't imagine 350! We learned a lot from the experience, though, so when we do the next phase it should go more smoothly. Luckily, we live close to Las Pilitas, and they are very helpful. It will take years, but we'll get there...

This photo was taken just prior to planting the up-slope. We put in ceanothus, zauschneria, fraxinus, madrone, manzanita, chitalpa, fremontodendron, and more I can't recall without my list.