Their goal is low maintenance, low water with an Asian aesthetic and they have continued to tweak their garden 4 or 5 times since moving here in 1997.
They placed a vegetable garden in their front yard because that is where they get the most sun on the property. They’ve removed their grass and have replaced it with mostly decomposed granite. Other plantings are mixed: fruit trees, a few tropicals, and native drought tolerant plants.
Since the process has been gradual, they’re not sure how much water they are saving but they are thrilled that they’re not wasting it on ugly pee stained weedy grass!
They have a rain barrel from the city of LA – the planning has been a little stressful when El Nino is in the forecast!
They’ve planted a wonderful Pomegranate tree, a Pineapple Guava tree, Satsuma Plum tree, and Protea’s from Trader Joes. They like to get loot for watering!
With their new water fountain they’ve opened up a bath house for the little green finches - they’re so delightful to watch! Critters have always been around but now they have a destination and come digging into their vegetable garden for grubs. They’ve found that Mar Vista has always had a lot of wild life.
They use drip twice a week, adjusting for the different needs for trees and the vegetable garden.
