When’s The Best Time to Start Your Garden (in LA County)

Plan Now During the Heat of Summer and Plant During Wet Season

In our work of landscape design-build-maintain in Los Angeles County, we often find ourselves at odds with client preferences for when they want to start their projects.  Too often we are asked to install gardens during the Summer, which is usually when all of us want access to a beautiful garden, to enjoy our climate.  Unfortunately, this is the worst time to plant a garden, as the new plants will be stressed from the hot conditions, followed by dry Santa Ana winds. Irrigation will also be required that many plants, particularly native plants, don't want during the Summer. Thus you have higher failure rates, higher water bills, and a garden that is barely installed during the hottest time of year- August and September.  Even Spring might be too late for many plants. While Spring is better than Summer, and good for annual Summer/Fall harvest crops such as pumpkins, tomatoes, and corn, even these plants will do better if you start planting earlier, consider starting these seeds as early as Winter Solstice.  Native plants and wildflowers definitely want to be planted at the beginning of the wet season.  The best time to plant is a season before its peak point; plant in the Winter for Spring bloom.

Prep Time Is Key

The best thing to do during the hot dog days of late Summer and early Fall is to prepare for the cool, wet season.  This time of year is when we can observe the extremes of our climate and geography.  It is also when we suggest that clients plan, design, and prep for their garden for the next year.  This is a time when we can observe the solar exposure, where the shade is cast, and where the hottest spots are, and plan our future gardens accordingly.  Identifying microclimates and areas where water collects is key to diversity and proper plant placement. We can prepare for the deluge of rainwater our climate provides between November and April, climaxing during February, by using the summer months for grading, trenching, swales and berms. Summer is a good time to install your rain gutters and rain barrels, tanks and cisterns, dig out and build a pond, or build with wood and metal. Waiting until the wet season is also a better time to do cement work, as the cooler, moist atmosphere helps the cement cure better, reducing cracking.

Plant in November

The most spectacular gardens in Southern California are planted in November as soon as it starts raining.  This is the time of year when the plants will incur the least stress because the weather is cooler, some showers may have already started as early as October, and it gives time for the roots to grow.  At first you may not see much growth during the cooler, wet season and you may think something is wrong with your plants, but you are giving your garden time to establish itself and prepare for success during the longer growing season.  Winter turns plant energies inward and downward, focusing on roots and conserving energy, preparing them for explosive growth when Spring brings the energy outward and upward.  If you wait until Spring you may already be too late.  So many people still believe that we need to wait until Spring to garden; this must be a left-over belief from the cooler Eastern and Northern traditions.  However, in Southern California we rarely see any frost. Some areas never get frost because they are sheltered or located along our "Avocado Belt" above the shores and valleys, but below the colder mountain and high-desert elevations. TheAvocado Belt runs from Santa Barbara to San Diego along our coastal foothills, and allows for the growth of subtropical plants that can't be grown further inland or north.  

Be Conscious of Geographical and Climate Factors

Los Angeles County may be dry relative to the East Coast or Northern regions, however we are certainly not a desert as many people seem to believe. With 15"+ of rainwater per year we are more of a Mediterranean Climate with pockets of subtropical microclimates and patches of arid plains and ridges.  Many people can capture enough rainwater from their roof tops and driveways to water their gardens for the entire year.  You will need to be conscious of your geographical and climatic factors to properly plan for your garden, you can design a garden that will maximize your unique potential, provide beauty, food, and habitat.  Start early and be prepared for the first rain, just like you would prepare for any great opportunity, by planning now and designing for your future.