April Showers

It appears our storm season totals for the LA area have reached just above historical norms for precipitation this winter, with some chance yet to add on before summer truly arrives.  After a few average to very dry years in the last five, that's great news!  And with several good, well-spaced storms instead of a few major deluges and the resulting rapid runoff, ground water levels are in great shape for planting and sustaining your water-conscious landscape this year. Success rates for new plantings are much higher with a low-stress first season in the ground. And next year's weather patterns are a poor betting docket, so seize the season! La Loma is happy to help. We specialize in creating watershed friendly ecological landscapes that will increase in beauty, fertility and resiliency reliably over time.  In fact, watch for an upcoming blog entry that will revisit some of our early projects, now a couple years along!

One straightforward improvement to existing circumstances is mulching. It's always a good time to add mulches of just about any abundant organic matter (avoiding certain allelopathic plant wastes, such as Redwood, Black Walnut and Eucalyptus), but right now is ideal for the preservation of moisture ahead of summer's baking dry heat. It's free water 'in the bank'!  And in the long term perspective, additional plantings, especially trees, will aid in creating microclimates and root systems that help to preserve water in the soil, above and beyond what they themselves need.

In the bigger picture, momentum is increasing towards rehabilitation of our regional ecosystems and waterways too. If your enthusiasm likewise overflows, consider helping Friends of the Los Angeles River with their upcoming annual cleanup and restoration efforts throughout the basin. Read more about the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council as well as the Arroyo Seco Watershed and discover why it's so important. Also, check out fellow native waterway fans Jessica and Joe at the eutrophic (we mean that in a good way!) LA Creek Freak blog for a bevvy of inspiring dispatches. Once you're suitably inspired, take a hike to go enjoy spring's lovely wildflowers! It's a good show on, with color even returning to much of the recent Station Fire burn area (still closed to the public).