Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase

The 4th Annual Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase Wants You!

2012-01-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

The Mar Vista Community Council invites you to participate in the FREE fourth annual Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase - a citywide Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 21st, 2012 from 10 am to 4pm. Please contact us if you would like to submit your garden to be on the tour! See the gardens already on the tour here.

We are looking for drought-resistant landscapes and edible gardens and are particularly eager to showcase sustainability features ranging from composting techniques to water capture practices. Urban farms can range from aquaponic farming to chicken coops. This year the tour places special emphasis on the critical need for ocean friendly gardens and California native gardens that support much needed pollinators such as honey bees and monarch butterflies. Show the community how creating outdoor rooms provides much more useful livable space than a traditional lawn.

This giant eco-festival will be comprised of approximately 80 private resident gardens broken into 6 compact self-guided walking tours throughout Mar Vista. On the heels of three wildly successful prior tours that topped 2,000 attendees last year, the Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase will include special guest presenters at many gardens to enhance your knowledge of sustainability in daily living. Especially valuable is the chance for guests to meet do it yourself gardeners who share knowledge and experience. This is truly a giant block party throughout Mar Vista and you will have a blast meeting your neighbors and sharing your garden.

The Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase seeks to empower Los Angelenos to adopt environmentally conscious living solutions. With most people walking or biking their tours, there is a tremendous sense of community as residents throughout Southern California come to Mar Vista to celebrate our shared vision for a greener life.

Guest presenters on the tour include TreePeople, Surfrider Ocean Friendly Gardens, HoneyLove.org, Los Angeles County Master Gardeners, The Seed Library of Los Angeles, Native Green LLC and Sustainable Works. Landscape designers, solar installers and service providers are invited to be included to answer questions and share information.

Mar Vista can make a difference!

For more information please email sherri@marvista.org or jeanne@marvista.org.

Media is welcome.

2564 Armacost Avenue

2012-01-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

Photo credit: Izumi Tanaka Photography

Theowner, a landscaper (Rose in Bloom) uses this gardenas a testing ground to see what plants work in what areas as well as topush the envelope somewhat by planting unusual species and seeing how theygrow…and how sustainable they are. Inspiration came from a desire to bring someunusual gems to client’s gardens, giving their gardens that extra pizzazz.

One “client” that has certainlybenefited is the owner’s own family. There is movement in the gardeneverywhere. With four water features and fruiting vegetation year round, birdsand other wildlife come and go constantly.

The pondless waterfall is a favorite.On spring and summer Sundays, the owners sit on a swing with their coffee andwatch the water all morning. The waterfall draws people in. Many guests say itis so relaxing that they‘ve never sat still for as long as they do in thisbackyard.

The owners love the mixture ofsucculents and Mediterranean flowering plants. There are some very unusualplants. They wait all year for rare bulbs to display their once yearly blooms.One favorite, Draculuncus Vulgaris (ablack lily), only lasts a week, smells like rotten meat, but is so beautifulthat all is forgiven. Hundreds of white flowers bloom on a spider lily thatlooks like an agapanthus every August; their tendrils make the lilies look likeelegant spiders.

Trees include Japanese persimmon,orange and loquat. Alpine strawberries grow in pots; their tiny, tiny fruit isheavenly—the owners pick and eat them by the bowlful! Tomatoes, herbs, lettuce,blueberries and other vegetables grow in a small vegetable garden. Laura Taylorfrom LauraTaylor At Homewill be on hand to talk about growing vegetables; she is an expert ongrowing hundreds of tomato varieties including heirlooms.

The carefully chosen plants thrivewith deep but infrequent irrigation. The garden is watered once weekly inwinter and twice weekly during the hot summer. Running the traditionalsprinklers for two rounds of 5 minutes each—for a total 10 minutes—eliminatesrunoff and insures that the water goes deeper to the roots.

Photographer Izumi Tanaka—source of these gardenphotos—will be taking photos during the Showcase. Guest Janet Mitsui-Brown of The Joy of Feng Shui will explainthe plant placements and how Feng Shui principles can improve a garden.

windward

2012-01-27T18:42:00.001-08:00

3710 Mountain View Avenue

2012-01-27T06:04:00.000-08:00

The front garden, once mere sloping suburban lawn

Terrace garden set under two Pittopsorum trees planted in1951

All Photos: Michael Moran, Tim Considine, and Steve Lacap

This garden is the summationof twenty years lived in one place, and reflects the changing inspirations ofthe two owners - Katherine Spitz, AIA, ASLA, LEED AP(landscape architect of garden) Daniel Rhodes, Architect. It is always a work in progress. They have been inspired by the places wherebuilding and architecture become one - hedges are walls, trees are columns,paving stones are floors, and tree canopies are ceilings. Enjoythis profile of the garden by Lisa Boone in the LA Times before the tour!

The rear fountain garden, with view of Hidcote Garden(England) inspired twin "follies"

This garden has a strong architectural layout;composed of five discrete garden "rooms," it was inspired by thegardens of England (Hidcote), Italy, Japan, and most recently, Spain. Each roomis animated by the sounds of water, and each has a distinct plantingscheme. The "keyhole" shape ofthe rear garden creates what is known as a “false perspective", enhancing the illusion of depth. The front garden, influenced by the gardensof Japan, is also focused on a circular fountain, and is surrounded by shrubsthat are being coaxed into the forms of cumulus clouds!

The garden has become more drought tolerant over the years, with each successive planting removing more lawn and replacing it with either California natives or compatible plants. The simple drought tolerant palette of the Spanish gardens - myrtle, rosemary, lavender, and Cypress - have been particularly influential. The most recent addition to the garden, the circular fountain garden in the rear, is planted with their favorite California friendly drought tolerant plants - a distinctive change to the lawn that had been there since 1951!

Some fun features: Look for the hidden mirror! The wood pergolawas built from columns found in the trash in Silver Lake. And the twin"follies" are used as a nursery and their translucent roofs becomelanterns at night. And the frogs spit!

There is drip irrigation in the rear gardenand the natives will not need additional water by the fall of 2012. The frontgarden has been weaned off water except for monthly in the summer.

Overview looking towards house

3338 Corinth Avenue

2012-01-26T18:31:00.000-08:00

GoingCalifornia green…a work in process

Thisis a corner house, so the front yard is large. The owners are transforming it,one section at a time, doing all the designing, digging and plantingthemselves. They are using primarily California native plants from nurseries atTheodorePayne Foundation and the Santa BarbaraBotanical Gardens.

Theproject began in 2009 with the parkway strip on Kingsland Street. The ownersremoved the grass and planted a variety of low-growing California native shrubsas well as California poppy seeds. This was their test area. It is a beautifulsuccess, and a lesson in what on a parkway.

Severalof the low-growing manzanita shrubs grew more robustly than predicted and arehappily blooming. Ashyleaf buckwheat reseeds itself and blooms in a range ofbeige to rosy pink flowerettes on long stems. Monkeyflower and blue penstemonadd color in the spring and summer. The plant mix includes a few milkweeds and theowners now enjoying seeing Monarch butterflies throughout much of the year.

Theowners are now redoing the Kingsland side garden, working on hardscaping withstepping stones and planting more California natives. Their goal is to have abeautiful flowering California native garden on the south side of the propertyrequiring little water, low maintenance and no chemical herbicides.

They’veinstalled a composter, purchased inexpensively at a City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation composting workshop. And they have some home-grownmulch from a tree that had to be removed.

Oncethe south side is done, the owners will begin work on the larger garden area onCorinth Avenue. Lots of digging ahead! Come and see how far they’ve gotten.

3465 Stewart Avenue

2012-01-24T06:19:00.000-08:00

Featured in the LA Times by Lisa Boone - see more pictures here.

This landscape designer owner of Elow Landscape Design and Build, Inc. designed the garden for their daughter. She wanted to bring wildlife into the yard. They have humming birds, butterflies, bees, squirrels. They also wanted her to be able to explore the yard, hide and play under trees. Everything is soft and durable enough for children. However the yard still maintains adult spaces and does not look like a play ground. When their daughter goes to bed, the grownups enjoy the space just as much. They live in a very small house so their yard becomes an extension of their home. It has been designed to allow them to live outside.

They have incorporated lots of features that are green, easy to use, and beautiful. They used composite decking for their decks and reclaimed wood for our dining pergola as well as dining table and bench. Drip irrigation has saved them about $400.00 a month in watering. We have a 6'x6x'6 reclamation pit that catches excess rain water and releases it back into the yard.

After careful research, they also incorporated synthetic turf which cut their water use down even more. It is made from recycled plastic and can be recycled. It is no longer made out of recycled tires that off gas. For those who have considered this alternative, this is a great stop to learn from a professional who made a studied, informed decision.

Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase Highlights Building Community with Gardens

2012-01-22T06:51:00.000-08:00

Barry Ave

People replace their turf lawns for many reasons: to help the environment, to use less water, to make room for fruit trees and other edibles, to create a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy with family, friends and nature. A perhaps unexpected benefit expressed by many participants in the Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase is creating community.

The do-it-yourself gardener at 2554 Federal Avenue calls his front yard a Victory Garden. He says “Often when a neighbor walks by or shows interest in the garden, I can pluck a sprig of rosemary or share a vegetable in the garden. With sharing becoming more scarce, I feel my garden has the ability to act as a vehicle for people to re-connect and share.”

The grass area in front of 3201 Butler Avenue is being transformed into a veritable farm. According to the homeowners, a surprising side benefit of this conversion is the social aspect. They’ve met more people in the neighborhood than ever before. Neighbors stop by on the weekends to see what's going on…sometimes leaving with some excess zuchinni.

Growing edibles to share helps, but is not required for building community with gardens. Just puttering or sitting and enjoying the garden are often enough. Barbeques with friends, bird and insect activity, and encounters with friendly neighbors have all increased since completion of the garden makeover at 2561 Barry Avenue. The owner says he’s “met more neighbors in past year than in the previous 15 due to time spent enjoying the front yard and lower rise wall.” At3749 Redwood Avenue, a swing bench is the perfect place to meet the neighbors on a hot afternoon.

Redwood Ave.

The do-it-yourselfers at 11375 Matteson say, “Now that the biggest physical part of the work is done, we are discovering the many joys of puttering in the garden and growing some of our own food. Plus since we're out front for all to see, a side benefit has been connecting with neighbors and building community!”

Perhaps most immediate impact of the landscaping project at 13001 Morningside Way is the profound sense of wellbeing that the homeowners experience. A tire swing in the parkway encourages kids and parents to pause and view the garden while walking in the neighborhood. The owners encourage people to help themselves to fruits and veggies, always leaving some for the next person.

The edible garden at 4106 Marcasel Avenue provides much more than produce. The homeowners say, “It is a great learning experience for the kids and a way to meet neighbors.” Their garden is connected to a neighbor’s garden that gets different sunlight, so they grow different things and share. “It has been one of the best parts of the garden,” they say. In the summer, they all sit out back between the gardens, enjoying a glass of wine and whatever delicious dishes they can create from their bounty. The children play and the parents have some grown up time together.

On Saturday, April 21, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the community of Mar Vista celebrates Earth Day by inviting the wider community to visit some of its wonderful gardens. At the free 4^th Annual Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase you’ll see a wide variety of mostly turf-free outdoor spaces and meet professional and do-it-yourself landscapers as well as presenters from various environmental organizations. Learn the stories behind the gardens. Share gardening tips with owners and guests. Save the date! Come and experience community.

January 31st is the deadline to add your garden to the tour!

12579 Westminster Avenue

2012-01-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

This homeowner is the owner of Gardenerd and will be availableto answer questions about vegetable gardening and composting. They just added a few chickens to their urbanhomestead and will be sharing their experiences with tour goers!

The backyard organic vegetable garden will be featured on this year’s tour, butbe sure to check out the front yard’s use of California natives and droughttolerant plants as you pass through. What makes the front yard unique is the mini orchard of citrus and stonefruit trees.

The backyard vegetable garden features 3 rain barrels (with room for 5) thatthey use to water the plants, allowing them to turn off their drip irrigationsystem from November through April each year. They utilize a 3-bin compostingsystem plus a worm bin to turn kitchen, garden and coop waste intonutrient-rich soil and fertilizer.

They have a sprinkler system that runs on a timer in zones. With the clay soiland slow drainage, they have found that watering every 5 days was all it needed(4 minutes max). The fruit trees get watered once a month.

This is a unique opportunity to get advice about organic gardening from amaster!

Windward Learning Garden 11350 Palms Blvd.

2012-01-21T08:55:00.000-08:00

Students harvesting onions

WindwardLearning Garden, located at the eco-friendly school of the same name, was thebrainchild of some very committed students and their advisor, Samantha Lyon,who is a certified Permaculture Designer. The Green Club and the CommunityService Committee were interested in composting the food waste from thecafeteria, recycling, and starting an edible garden. This hand-watered gardenwas started in the fall of 2010. It is an elective class for both middle and highschool students, and meets twice a week to do garden projects. Art teacherHannah Northenor teaches the middle school gardening class, and Samantha theupper school's. It’s also an opportunity for students to have fun! The schoolgarden movement is growing at an amazing rate, and Windward is committed togreen initiatives and interactive learning for students. Because it is linkedto the Community Service Department, students are encouraged to be active intheir community through gardening as well. Check out a video of the garden

NOTE - PLEASE ENTER ON BUTLER - SEE MAP

3558 Military Avenue

2012-01-21T07:59:00.000-08:00

Afterthe house was extensively remodeled, the garden was a construction zone. Theowners were therefore able to start from scratch. Their goal was to createfront and back yards that required little maintenance yet gave some space toplay with fruit trees and vegetables.

Theydecided to remove the remaining grass, replacing it with artificial turf and anexpanded garden bed area.

A lowwater, low maintenance cactus and succuclent garden dominates the front yard. Thebackyard has raised beds for vegetables, fruit trees and a new patio area.Bamboo planted on one side of the backyard will eventually provide someprivacy.

Sprinklerswater the front yard and the backyard has a drip system. The owners supplementthe drip system by hand watering as required.

Theowners did not have time in the past to play with vegetables and have reallyenjoyed planting them and watching them grow this past year. Last summer—theirfirst—they experimented with squash, tomatoes, lettuce, bush beans, radishes,eggplant and okra. In the winter they planted winter tomatoes, lettuce, snap peas,snow peas, herbs, kohlrabi and blueberries. They are trying to grow Hawaiianpapayas from seed and have a Babaco Papaya from Ecuador.

12833 Rose Avenue

2012-01-20T19:16:00.000-08:00

The designer who created this beautiful floral oasis started gardening in 3rd grade after falling in love with her grandmother's vegetable garden in Canada. Having a background as a fine artist – her plants are her medium. People don't realize there's a whole spectrum of just the color green alone. Be enticed by her combination of colors, shapes and textures to form many rich layers of beauty.

This designer began with a very loose plan and then added plants. If the plant worked--great, if not then it was moved somewhere else. That's one big aspect the designer loved about gardening--it's always changing. Like any other responsible green gardener, she incorporated native plants, drought tolerant plants and all kinds of succulents. One of her joys of gardening is creating new plants with cuttings. In fact, a majority of the plants in her garden were from cuttings.

Neighbors and even people beyond her neighborhood love this garden. Strangers come to her door to enquire about a flower they have never seen before. Her enthusiasm for gardening literally grows on other people.

Any extra moment she can grab from her busy schedule, this designer loves spending time in her garden. Surprising to most, she hand waters her garden, sometimes even using a water pitcher. She finds this therapeutic and saves water. Come and visit this fun garden and get some amazing cuttings.

3741 Moore Street

2012-01-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

Photos - Carter Mays

These front and back yards contian a bevy of flowersin a jumble of colors, with both California natives and other drought tolerantplants included to create an exciting, yet natural effect.

The front yard of this Do-It-Yourself garden startedin the summer of 2009, following up with the backyard in the Fall of 2011. This makes it a new garden and it needs to mature,so that when you look across the garden the eyes will eventually see plants atall heights. Currently a single mature tree in the backyard draws attention, whilenewer plants continue to grow and fill in the space with color accents.

The garden started with a base of decomposed granite("DG") to replace the lawn. The homeowner planted drought tolerant flowers all around in a doughnutshape. The homeowner researches plants as a hobby, looking for Mediterranean, Californian,Texan, Arizonan or Mexican flowers that might fit into the garden. After identifying the plants online it, this“gardening detective” found it surprisingly easy to locate flowering shrubs atlocal nurseries.

After doing all the planting without professional help,the homeowner has continued to do all of the maintenance without outsideassistance. Because there is no outside gardener to help out, the garden was plannedwith easy upkeep in mind. Maintenance requires about one hour of work per week tocheck on any weed growth and/or to prune the plants a bit. No mowing or leaf-blowing is done. What a pleasure for everyone!

2554 Federal Avenue

2012-01-20T06:51:00.000-08:00

This uniquegarden is primarily edible. It is truly a reflection of today’s economy,demonstrating that with the onset of inflation and "tough times" wecan be more reliant on our very own Victory Gardens. The owner enjoys eatingfresh and unique produce plucked from the garden.

Thisis a do-it-yourself project. Edibles grow within and around raised beds.Repurposed metal buckets set in the ground serve as containers for herbs. Alarger metal bucket filled with gravel directs water from the rain chain intothe ground.

Sinceit is in the front yard, the garden is a resource for sharing. Often when aneighbor walks by or shows interest in the garden, the owner plucks a sprig ofrosemary or shares a vegetable. With sharing becoming more scarce, the ownerfeels this garden is a vehicle for people to re-connect and share.

3417 Cabrillo Blvd

2012-01-20T06:36:00.000-08:00

This beautifully designed garden has inspired manyneighbors to pursue a lawn-free front yard.

The owners bought their home in 2006 and wanted tocreate a low maintenance front yard with a natural and woodsy feel. The use of natural and organic materials wasvery important to their plan. The havepebbles and boulders from Indonesia mixed into the landscape with recycledfurniture from their far-flung travels to complete the idyllic feel.

The garden has morphed into a wonderful space where theymake use of a private deck with beautiful succulents and Podocarpus Henkelii onthe side and Silver Sheen Pittosporum in the front.

The front portion of the yard has a small cluster ofbirch trees with red kangaroo paws flanking a rock fountain. The elegant fountain has become a playgroundfor birds. The garden also boasts regular visits from hummingbirds.

To add color, they planted a short row of Hot CocoaRoses in front of the low wall. Theseplants can get by with watering 1 or 2 days per week depending on the time ofthe year.

Other plants used: Dymondia for the ground cover andFlax for the front strip. The Landscape Designer is Mike Mendoza Arborist of M&M Gardens.

3201 Butler Avenue

2012-01-19T06:18:00.000-08:00

Edibles…lotsof them…growing in the front yard

Foryears the owners grew tomatoes, strawberries and a few things like that on anarrow strip on the southeastern side of the house next to the neighbor'sdriveway.

Newneighbors built a fence cutting off vegetable garden’s light. The children, nowolder, no longer used the grassy area in the front yard for play. it was timefor a change. The backyard doesn't get as much sun as the front, so the ownersdetermined the front yard was the place to site the new vegetable garden.

TheWestdale soil, as all gardeners there know, is terrible. Rather than trying toamend it to something less than terrible, the owner decided to construct raisedbeds. Using stacking joints manufactured by frameitall, they were dead-easy to put together. The firstyear's produce, in 2011, justified the decision. The owners have grown onionsand garlic and potatos and carrots and beans and snow peas and lettuce andcucumbers and tomatos and zuchinni and pumpkins and corn and parsnips and aload of herbs.

WallaWalla onions, cut thick and grilled on the barbecue, became a favorite summerfood. The owners just finished the last of their onions in January, having beenself-sufficient since June.

Thesurprising side benefit from this has been the social aspect. The owners have metmore people in the neighborhood than ever before. They stop by on the weekendsto see what's going on…sometimes leaving with some excess zuchinni!

Thisis still a work-in-progress. The unwatered grass is dying but not gone. Theowners are adding more planters and then will put in low-water natives andstepping stones to create a more pleasing look. Right now, the owner/chiefgardener has more vision than time!

3406 Keeshen Drive

2012-01-18T18:48:00.000-08:00

Thisis a do it yourself garden from design to planting to maintenance. The ownershave the aches and strains to prove it!.

Theirgoal and inspiration was low maintenance. They started planting fruit trees in2004. The cactus patch started in 2009. In 2010 they removed all the turf thereselvesand added decomposed granite and gravel.

Theowners hand-water their pesticide-free garden once or twice a week.

Theeuphobia cactus and the fruit trees are among their favorite plants. They'veseen an uptick in hummingbirds and squirrels.

Theowners look forward to sharing their garden and answering any questions.

3783 Redwood Ave

2012-01-18T06:50:00.000-08:00

This garden is a must visit to learn about Ocean Friendly Gardens!

This front garden is largely California native or drought resistant plants with two small square-foot vegetable gardens, flanked by a handful of potted strawberries and herbs. The native plants have brought an amazing difference in wild life! The yard attracts a wide array of birds and pollinators and neighborhood cats that can’t get enough of the wildlife activity going on.

The homeowner hired help to remove the grass and lay the step stones that run along the driveway and then did all the plant selection, garden layout, and planting on their own. The main path is recycled driveway from a neighbor. They completed the process with NWF to make the garden certified Wildlife Habitat, and installed a rain barrel in the front yard. Next steps include an additional rain barrel in the back yard and cutting into the driveway to stop flow to the street to retain as much water on the property as possible. The plants are hand watered as needed. The edibles get more frequent watering and the rest of the yard maybe once or twice a month. There is also a compost bin in the back yard.

This homeowner works full time for the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit that works on issues such as ocean water quality. Surfrider Foundation launched a program in Los Angeles County called Ocean Friendly Gardens in 2009. The purpose of the program is to give your yard “CPR” (Conservation, Permeability, and Retention) to reduce our individual contribution to urban runoff, which is the #1 cause of ocean pollution in Los Angeles. They will have information on hand to share about the Ocean Friendly Garden program.

3717 Mountain View Avenue

2012-01-18T05:45:00.000-08:00

There is so much to see in this garden that it was difficult to select which picture to use! This is a wonderful bungalow style home with a sloping hillside front garden that has been landscaped into separate areas which each create a different atmosphere. The front yard is no-lawn, low water, and spectacular. The back yard is divided into two parts, the front back and the out back. The front back is mostly brick, with many pots, and a small lawn, about 12 feet in diameter. There are several different plants including Heliotrope, day lilies and agapantha. The outback is ecological, using very little water. There are two lemons, two oranges, two fig tress as well as three raised beds with plants such as sorrel, arugula, spinach, lettuce, peas and tomatoes. The front is watered once a week with sprinklers. In the back there's a mixture of tube watering in the boxes, and hose watering elsewhere and the roses are hand watered. They use no pesticides, herbicides, or any toxics in our cleaning supplies.

12521 Westminster Avenue

2012-01-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

The previous owners of this home built a retaining wall andplanted a row of trees around the periphery of the property. While the trees create deep shade and keepthe front of the house cool, the limited sunlight did not allow for muchgrowth, resulting in an unsightly weed and crabgrass “lawn”. This home is a great example of how to takeadvantage of shade by choosing environmentally appropriate plantings.

The hard ground had not been tilled or fertilized inyears. Bad for planting – great for thepink Arizona flagstone selected by the current homeowners! All that was needed was a layer of sand andseveral inches of space between the stones to provide a water-permeable surfacethat requires little maintenance. Thespace between the stones was filled with rich soil, ornamental gravel, andseeds of various low-light ground covers. The contrast between the pink stones and the green ground covers givescolor, life and complexity to an area that initially seemed unworkable. The flagstone was the main expense, withaccents of potted plants.

The garden has become a friendly hangout for neighborhoodcats, who congregate on the cool flagstone on hot days. The homeowners love watching their own catsmingling with feline visitors, each one sprawled on their own individual flagstone pad.

Watering is minimal. Spot watering by hand once or twice a week is all that is needed. Because the homeowner can efficiently targetmicro-environments, nothing is over watered and there is no runoff.

3749 Redwood Avenue

2012-01-12T19:32:00.000-08:00

Read about the cluster of gardens on Redwood

in this feature by Emily Green in The Dry Garden in the LA Times.

This garden was installed in 2009 following a major remodel of the garage. The small garage was replaced with a 4 car dream garage with office/family room above. Check out the view from the balcony, you can see the Getty and quiet surrounding Mar Vista neighborhood. This garden is not on the published maps but it's on your way to the next garden.

The garden is watered with the latest smart irrigation technologies (ET Water Irrigation Controller) and all subsurface drip irrigation. The garden was design by Marilee Kuhlmann of Comfort Zones Garden Design and installed by Clark and White Landscapes. The landscape masonry was done by Macon Inc. A plant list for the garden will be available at the tour. No herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers were used in the construction or ongoing maintenance of this garden. The soil fertility is being improved with the use of mulch, compost, worm casting and compost teas.

All the existing mature trees on the property were kept and protected during the construction. The front yard has a Trumpet tree (Tabebuia) which should be in full flower for the tour. The 4 mature Australian Paperbark (Melulaca’s) provided the impetus for the other plants in the garden to be primarily of Australian origin. A few native California species with the same low water requirement were added for color and habitat for our native birds and insects.

The swing bench is the perfect place to meet the neighbors on a hot afternoon. The old front garden had a small patch of turf which was removed and the area was re-contoured and elevated into a berm to improve drainage for some of the Protea’s and other plants wanting fast drainage. Check out the flower on the Australian vine on the arbor in front, it’s an usual Black Kennedia or Black Coral Pea (Kennedia nigracans). Some of the unusual Australian plants in the garden were specimens from the Australia Native Plant nursery in Ventura/Ojai.

The garden is only 2 doors away from a Mark Twain Middle school so there is lots of traffic in the area in the morning and afternoon on school days. Once the plants mature on the berm it will provide some separation and a sense of privacy from the sidewalk traffic. The recycled broken concrete pavers and stacked concrete used in the outer front patio area and garden wall came from the old garage floor. The open joints between the pavers have a combination of dymondia, thyme and herniaria ground covers, drip tubing is below ground to provide irrigations water until these plantings are mature. The parkway has two mature Gold Medallion Trees (Cassia leptophylla). The turf was removed and Dymondia and small New Zealand Flax were used, stepping stones were placed for folks to have access to their parked cars.

The front south side has an edible section. This is the best full sun spot on the property. Two espaliered apple trees (low chill varieties; Anna and Fuji) stand at the house, with 2 Blue Berry bushes, and raised beds for salad veggies are planned in the remaining inches of space.

The back garden’s raised wood deck was protected during construction and repaired and painted at the end of construction to match the new color scheme of the garage and house. The mature Birch trees where kept, but these tree need more water that the other plants that were planned for the garden so a fountain was installed at their feet providing a little extra slash for the trees to drink.

The homeowner’s collection of orchids will be out on display during the tour. The greenhouse was built by the homeowner to fit tightly under a mature Australian Tea Tree (Leptospermum petersonii) and over the sump pump area for the property to house the orchid collection.

The Bouquet Canyon stone patio and planter incorporates a built in gas fire pit with a small seating area. The open joints in the patio’s construction allow rain water to be infiltration into the soil reducing the runoff into the street. The back garden plants are a combination of plant from California, European and Australian origin.

3784 Redwood Avenue

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Photos by Renee Tondelli

This is the fourth year this garden has been on the tour and visitors have watched it go from newly planted to a paradise! About half are native California plants and half Mediterranean climate plants from Australia, South Africa, Chile, etc. The front is a delight - but don't miss the chance to explore the back with a chicken habitat that is practically a chicken condo and 2 large edible gardens. There is a lot to learn here!

Thesoil in these gardens - both edible & ornamental beds - is maintainedexclusively with compost & compost tea. The owner has become such a believerin compost tea & the biological method of garden maintenance that it hasbecome the main thrust of their design and maintenance business - Compost Teana.

They also added a gray water system to the back yard last year and took the beds nextto the house off of the main irrigation line. Those plants have beenmaintained exclusively with washing machine gray water since April 2011. They use drip irrigation - once every 2 weeks on one line and once a month on the other.

After tearing out the turf in the front yard, these homeowners created a Mediterranean style courtyard, with a small fountain in the middle, encircled by a 3’ high berm. The berm was planted with climate appropriate plants, focusing mainly on California natives. They removed 2 very thirsty birch trees and replaced them with 2 beautiful, unthirsty, summer-flowering Chitalpa x tashkentensis trees - which were received from the ‘Million Trees LA’ program.

Look for the surprise visitor in the front yard!

3210 Kelton Avenue

2012-01-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

Coming through the gate and into this yard is like entering a magical space. The street and neighborhood traffic feel a long way off. Hummingbirds and bees are ever-present. In addition, many plants have a subtle fragrance that will delight you – after rain, the smell of rosemary and sage is intoxicating.

When they bought their home in 2001, the garden was as sad and neglected as the interior. Moreover, the site wasn’t properly graded. When it rained, the foundation flooded and the view from inside required looking up, which made the living room feel buried.

The re-do was both aesthetic and structural. The project, done in 2008 by Pam Bottaro of Red Lemon Landscape Design, called for excavating several feet of dirt then installing steps and retaining walls, so the yard was on the same level as the house. A flat pad meant water could percolate down, and pebble pathways provided additional drainage.

From the start, they wanted a waterwise design but worried it might be too austere for their 1927 house. Pam installed drip irrigation and chose native plants that perfectly complemented the old house’s “fairytale” look. They love the yard’s cottage feel and how the leveling gave them a beautiful view from their living room.

12527 Westminster Avenue

2012-01-06T05:56:00.000-08:00

The homeowners had two main goals in this front yardremodel. They wanted to replace their hillside grass/crabgrass lawn withdrought tolerant plantings and to capture rainwater rather than allowing it torun off the property and into the street. To that end, they leveled a portion of the hill by installing a stoneretaining wall. They then chose anassortment of climate-appropriate plantings, which compliment the house’s new pathway,making the front yard more welcoming to those approaching from the street. Usingelements suited to our local climate, they have a yard full of plants that willeventually grow to fill the space, rather than overwhelm it.

Another feature that they hope will help with waterconservation is the futuristic automatic watering system that is linked up to asatellite weather sensor so it waters only when necessary.

Although they originally hired a professional landscaper,the homeowners’ current design came from their own hard work. They altered the initial design to create an orderly landscapewhile still enjoying the benefits of drought tolerant landscaping. It took two years of plant research andexperimentation with placement and spacing for the design to complete their ourversion of the plan, which was then professionally installed. They were inspired by Sunset Magazine and MarVista Garden Tours!

Mark Twain Middle School - 2224 Walgrove Avenue

2012-01-03T17:56:00.000-08:00

Thisis Mark Twain Middle School’s second year of being on the MVGG Showcase. Fivegarden/educator volunteers are now working with the teachers at Mark TwainMiddle to incorporate the garden into their academic subjects. Inaddition to the classes taught during school hours, over 30 enthusiastic,committed students come out each day to work and play in the garden duringnutrition break and lunchtime. They are currently building a grapearbor and outdoor theater in the garden with volunteers. This is awonderful example of what other schools and children’s programs can do to linkchildren with nature & sustainable living.

3767 Redwood Avenue

2011-12-31T07:48:00.000-08:00

Featured on Chance of Rain and in the LA Times, this drought resistant garden combines California friendly plants with raised beds of vegetables and herbs. It was is not on the published map so make sure you stroll up Redwood and don't miss it!
The angled walkway in front adds a feeling of depth as plants soften the front entrance and create a meadow woodland feel to give an overall feeling of serenity.

The trees add so much! The Forest Pansy Red Bud is a beauty in all seasons while Melaleuca Nesophila is always such a fun dramatic gesture - birds love it and so it bring lots of joy to the little front patio. The Yellow Tabebuia is a spring treat with its mass of clear yellow blooms. Finally, the Ginkgo is gorgeous and such a cast iron plant for our climate and city living. The Arbutus Marina in the back yard is a butterfly and hummingbird magnet. This is a wonderful example of how much you can add to a garden with trees! The water features always draw in birds and the finches seem to love the Abutilons in the garden.

The garden was designed by the homeowner (the company is Wild Gardens) and was finished in June of last year.

3237 Glendon Avenue

2011-12-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

When the owner, a landscaper (Tanglevine) moved in eight years ago, the front yard was just a 1000 square foot grass hillside. Today it is an eclectic mix low water, bee and insect friendly flowers and shrubs evocative of the colorful gardens in Venice and Santa Barbara that the owner loves.

Rather than trying to achieve a particular ‘style,’ the owner wanted a free-form mixture of plants. The result is a garden in which aloes live happily next to lavender, roses, fruit trees and agaves—a living tapestry has evolved and changed over the years. It reflects the owner’s instincts for mixing colors and textures.

Beginning the garden makeover, the owner decided to invest in a two-person crew to remove all the sod as well as a roll off bin and lots of soil amendments. It was well worth the money. The crew dug 2-3 three inches off the top to remove all the roots, and the amended soil has been fertile and healthy ever since.

Once the soil was prepared, the fun part began: picking plants. The owner’s choices include pencil cactus, Echium, oak leaf hydrangea, a Japanese maple, stipa grass and many varieties of lavender. These plants have thrived over the years. A rose garden in the center of the yard offers a profusion of orange and peach blooms. The owner plants two wine barrels near the curb with a rotating display of seasonal color—currently anemones.

Hummingbirds, bees and spiders visit the garden daily. Occasionally the owner catches a glimpse of a lizard, grasshopper or dragonfly.

The garden has taught the owner a lot about patience and trial and error. It’s a process that can’t be rushed, but one that is extremely rewarding!

11375 Matteson Avenue

2011-12-27T06:15:00.000-08:00

Spring! See our new bench made from recycled wood & hand-built-mold concrete shape.
Please try it out ... just know that our kitty Crystal often hides in the Chard right behind the bench!

Starting with zero gardening knowledge, in 2008 this family stopped battling their monoculture lawn and began learning how to cooperate with nature on their learn-as-you-go journey of drought tolerant landscaping, urban gardening and rainwater harvesting.

New for the 2012 tour - their local Transition chapters and friends are having a barn-raising-style work party to help support residential lawn conversions. On this project, they learned "on-the-job" as they helped install a simple passive, hidden "reservoir" for rain water collection to transform this 8'x15' patch of dirt into a garden of edible CA natives. Come see the results!

Their hope is to model creative self-reliance and to encourage growing food and community in a frontyard display that is friendly and inviting and not too “farm-y." This entire DIY project has had strict budgetary parameters (everything cheap, recycled or free) as the homeowners slowly converted their post-lawn moonscape into a creative sustainable garden featuring stealth edibles intermingled with drought tolerant natives and succulents, small "urbanite" terraces, a WaterWall for rooftop rain collection, and a bistro-style hardscaped frontyard room with homemade concrete planters and pavers. The L-shaped corner lot offers a spectrum of microclimates from sunbaked hardpan to mossy deep shade which has provided a steep learning curve for these beginning permaculture enthusiasts. The front entry of river rock, DG & flagstone is wide & inviting as well as easy to maintain. Recent learning curve adjustments include resculpting the berm with mini-swales and adding a keyhole feature to help prevent mulch and water runoff as well as a soil pH crashcourse due to excess lime leaching in concrete planters. In hopes of improving their resilience, ecological footprint and water savings, the homeowners recently consulted with sustainable landscape architect John Tikotsky for advice on greywater Big Picture planning.

“Our reason for participating: We have had such fun with the project so far -- we really want to encourage others to be brave and take up their lawns. Now that the biggest physical part of the work is done, we are discovering the many joys of puttering in the garden and growing some of our own food. Plus since we're out front for all to see, a side benefit has been connecting with neighbors and building community!”

3782 Redwood Avenue

2011-12-26T18:49:00.000-08:00

This homeowner is a garden designer and also a founding member of G3. G3 teaches landscape sustainability classes for homeowners and workshops for landscape professionals.

The turf in the backyard was removed 10 years ago and the front yard turf 4 years ago. This will be the fourth season for the veggie garden in the front yard but the first year for the veggie garden in the back yard. Yes they have now removed most of those useless ornamental plants (saying “they were pretty, but you can’t eat them”). They have also used some interesting materials for raised beds, some very inexpensive tricks that even apartment dwellers may be able to duplicate. If that isn’t enough, they have added some edibles in the front parkway too. Basically don’t stop too long in the garden or they might plant something in your shoes.

There is practically an orchard of espalier fruit trees (a tree or shrub that is trained to grow in a flat plane against a wall): Fig-5 varieties, Apples-5 varieties, Citrus-4 varieties, native and edible Grape & Pomegranate. Artichokes block the front entrance this time of year; the postman must be very patient. You will see many pots of strawberries throughout the garden - they keep them going for the kids in the neighborhood. They even use the driveway as a squash patch.

They love the Arbutus Marina Strawberry tree in the front and watch hummingbirds and butterflies daily from the kitchen window. Wild life abounds! native bees, Monarch Butterflies, hummingbirds and a flock of Bush Tits each morning in the Pittosporum Silver Sheen next to the fountain - they come to bathe until the resident Anna Hummingbird protests. On average 50 Monarch Caterpillars could be seen from mid-summer until December. Swallowtail Butterflies share the front fence for their caterpillar to chrysalis transformation.

The homeowners use drip and hand water as needed and now have 2 rain barrels. Their water consumption has been reduced by approx 70%. This household uses an average of 42 gallons per person per day (the average home uses twice that) and they expect to continue to find ways of reducing their potable water consumption.

They are very jealous of the chickens next door, but share a back gate with their neighbor so after cultivating their garden they can easily drop off grubs – delicacies to most chickens.

3247 Granville Avenue

2011-12-26T13:18:00.000-08:00

This homeowner wanted to convert the property from water guzzling, high maintenance and boring turf to a combination of plants that would save water, maintenance hours, provide visual beauty and benefit the local fauna of birds, butterflies and bees.

“When we bought our house the front yard was a sea of grass struggling to remain green and 8 shrubs carved into circles. It took a lot of water just to maintain it's boring appearance. We asked Susanne Jett to create a native garden that would attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Turns out it attracts people too, and we love it. Our garden has gotten more beautiful in the eight years since she planted it. After remodeling in 2010, we had Susanne return to do the backyard. Now our entire landscape is environmentally friendly and we couldn’t be happier with how it looks."

The garden refurbish of 2010 now includes a rainwater catchment element (infiltration pit) in the front yard and rain chains on all of the gutters throughout the property. The infiltration pit collects roof rainwater runoff from the front half of the house. Thousands of gallons of seasonal rainwater are diverted from the street gutter and into the ground water table of the site. All walking and driving surfaces on the property have been designed to reduce water runoff.

The front garden is a combination of plantings and permeable walking areas from the original landscape installation of 2004 and the post-remodel refurbish plantings of 2010. The back garden was completely re-landscaped as part of the 2010 remodel refurbish. The entire landscape is a combination of Mediterranean plants including CA native plants. With the exception of fruit trees and edibles in back, all selected plants are low to medium water need plants. There is no turf on this property. Most of the plants provide some type of habitat support and attract beneficial insects to support Integrated Pest Management in the garden environment.

All planting areas on the property are serviced by low-volume, drip irrigation. The delivery of irrigation ranges from once per week to once per fifteen days. A weather-based irrigation controller on this site would enable irrigation delivery of 20 to 30 day periods. A weather-based irrigation controller will be the next landscape upgrade. Transitioning from a turf dominated landscape to one of low and low medium water use plants and low-volume drip irrigation can reduce water use on a residential property by 65% to 85%.

13014 Morningside Way

2011-12-24T09:59:00.000-08:00

A pair of bonafide Dodger Stadium seats were the inspiration for this unique sustainable garden. The homeowners started seven years ago with the back yard that had a vegetable garden and a small lawn 12x20'.

They had received a pair of Dodger Stadium seats and found a way to include a water fountain where birds could drink and bathe to create an effect that any garden enthusiast or baseball fan could appreciate . A consultant from the Theodore PayneFoundation helped to keep the plantings 100% California Native. They even planted a grapevine, Vitus Californicus -Rogers Red, that goes around the vigetable garden fence. Dirt burms added interest, and a drip irrigation system underground conserved water. A number of large big pots are filled with more natives. The hummingbirds especially like the fuchia (epilovium catalina). This area has become a very serene space to enjoy.

Inspired by the tranquility of their new backyard, the homeowners decided to transform the front as well incorporating a dry-rock river bed into the design.

They left several existing trees and a few camelia bushes, but the new plants are all low water users with many California native plants. The parking strip has less dense plantings and decomposed granite to insure easy access from a car parked on the street. There is also a six-inch wide rock drainage around the parking strip to control water run-off from the sidewalk. It solved an erosion problem and also added a design element. All irrigation is by underground drippers. There are also several large rocks to delight visiting grandchildren. They love to climb on, jump off, or use the boulders for picnics.

Low-voltage night lighting accentuates the appearance. Maintenance has been minimal and enjoyment maximal. They used at least 4" of mulch to cover the entire space around the riverbed. The plants are growing well and filling the spaces, and the variety of plants allows both color and accessibility.

3551 Tilden Avenue

2011-12-24T09:37:00.000-08:00

This very large garden is designed primarily for asthetics. The owner’s foremost consideration was colors and textures. Eco-Nomical Landscape certainly achieved this goal!

A blooming cactus stands sentry at the front entrance

Wide swaths of gravel separate islands planted with cacti, succulents and other drought-tolerant plants. Even in winter, there are spots of color and the backyard is fragrant with the aroma of orange blossoms.

Only a few backyard trees remain from the original landscaping. They are joined by several fruit trees. A large flagstone seating area provides a vantage point for enjoying the garden.

3904 East Boulevard

2011-12-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

This drought resistant garden was created with special attention to water conservation and capture. The landscape architect, project manager and landscape contractor will be on hand to answer questions!

The goals were a desire to save water, be beautiful and provide easy maintenance - and they achieved it all!

Grading was done so that run-off water is absorbed into soil and all new landscaped areas are permeable with planting areas covered in mulch. They use bubblers and some popup sprinklers. The rain sensor shuts off the irrigation when it rains. Established hydrozones and seasonal irrigation schedule lowers water consumption from 30 to 50% in this newly landscaped front yard.

Among some of the plants are: Cercis Canadensis (Eastern Redbud), Agave, Artemisia (Coastal Sagewort), Coleonema, Festuca (Blue Fescue), Ceanothus (Wild lilac), Hebe, Lavandula (Lavender), Loropetalum (Fringe Flower), Phlomis, Cerastium (Snow in Summer), Erigeron (Santa Barbara Daisy) and Lamium. What they love is the combination of colors.

There is so much to learn here and seeing a newly planted garden is a much needed perspective on spacing before you start your own!

This homeowner also works with The Los Angeles Food Policy Council which has a number of Working Groups that are looking into how to create a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable food system in LA. Their Working Group is called Urban Agriculture. Their goal is to develop LA into a center where healthy and affordable food is grown in an environmentally sustainable manner. They are trying to develop a comprehensive program to propose to the City to make it much easier to grow our own food and will be sharing information about their program during the tour.

13000 Venice Boulevard - The Learning Garden

2011-12-23T06:31:00.000-08:00

Enter on Walgrove
See a video preview of the garden on Mar Vista Patch here!
The Learning Garden at Venice High School was established in 2002 by a community wishing to utilize the one acre property on the Venice High campus more fully as a garden.
The Garden flourishes with over sixty fruit trees, a fiber arts garden, Chinese, Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicinal herbs, a tea garden and vegetable gardens. The excess produce is sent every other week to the Westside Food Bank, often times more than fifty pounds in a trip. The focal point of the Garden in late winter/early spring is our drought resistant California Native and succulent garden which is in full bloom.
They use no pesticides or fertilizers and the result is a spectacular array of insects and other life in the Garden. Some of the garden is watered with drip hose, but most is watered by hand. As a teaching institution, part of learning how to care for plants is watering them. There are three or four (depending on the week) different ways of composting in use.
Please note that you enter through the gate on Walgrove.

3518 Federal Avenue

2011-12-23T06:27:00.000-08:00

This is a sustainable garden play yard! The owner designed this garden as an experiment for the modern family. They are developing ideas for families with children that are sustainable and functional. The result is a garden that maximizes the use of all the outdoor spaces for gatherings, parties, and exercise.

In the front lawn, They replaced the grass with artificial turf. On one side of the walkway is a putting green under a 20 foot tall teepee that functions as a jungle gym and, when covered, a fun play zone. On the other side an olive tree provides shade for a giant chess game and solar powered pondless water feature (for safety). On both sides, there are raised vegetable and fruit beds. Attractive low water plants grow along the low fence and on the parkway.

The backyard features a climbing wall, a trampoline and a zip line. Plans are in place for a “tree” house to be designed and built by the owners’ 7 year old.

3635 Grand View Blvd

2011-12-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

This do it yourself garden is practically a farm and a permaculture paradise! Pinwheels, colorful Nepalese flags, solar path lights, wind chimes, trellises, seating areas including tables, chairs and a patio swing, a fire pit, water features (a small pond and watering can fountain) all make the yards more inviting. Enjoy a slide show preview of what you will see here. Honeylove will be a guest presenter at this garden with information about our urban beekeeping initiative.

This homeowner had always wanted a beautiful and inviting yard with bountiful fruit trees, vegetables and flower gardens. The original property, purchased in 1996 was a messy half acre which included a guest house built in 1923 and a ranch style house built in 1964 - shag carpets and all.

The back patio was a sloped cement pad, but it had beautiful palm trees with large aloe vera plants and Birds of Paradise in the front area with a “tropical” feel, a few fruit trees by the guest house and a huge St. Augustine lawn with a working irrigation system. The homeowner planted more fruit trees and enjoyed the lawn until it was destroyed during two years of remodeling. After several failed efforts to restore the lawn, which included Marathon sod and buffalo grass plugs, the irrigation was turned off and the lawn forgotten.

Meanwhile, the homeowner used the Do-It-Yourself approach and improved the yards as time and energy permitted. A level back patio was installed, and a small retaining wall added in front to address the slope of the yard. A broken concrete path led to the front of the house.

When the homeowner’s son, Jesse Dolan, graduated from UC Santa Cruz where he was the assistant manager of the University farm, he helped to create a more viable, sustainable and beautiful outdoor environment. Jesse will be on hand the day of the tour to answer questions.

In March of 2011 he rototilled the large lawn area, laid out footpaths and planting beds and together they started a large organic garden from seeds and a few store bought plants. They also planted flowers and shrubs that enhanced the beauty of the yard, added color and fragrance and attracted bees and butterflies to the property. The first summer brought an abundant harvest of fresh tomatoes, corn, sunflowers, basil, beets, beans and wildflowers.

Dolan also fenced off the orchard area to provide a large free range area for chickens that not only produce fresh eggs daily, but also help provide insect and weed control in that area.

Ice plant and compost help to replenish areas that still show damage from the earlier remodel. Hand watering as needed is now the only source of irrigation.

3527 Kelton Avenue

2011-12-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

A 'before' shot

This is the owner’s first house. When he moved there in 2004, the “garden” was primarily lawn—puntuated, in the backyard, by an unruly, unpruned apple tree. He quickly gave up watering the backyard, but even the small front lawn consumed a vast amount of water and time to keep green. Thanks to the Los Angeles Free Mulch Giveaway program, the owner started getting two truckloads of mulch each year and progressively removed the lawn and amended the rich but hard clay soil we enjoy in Mar Vista.

The owner designed the garden—somewhat chaotically, by trial and error. The backyard is the productive side, with dozens of fruit trees that the owner planted over the first few years and annual vegetable crops.

The backyard demands more water and maintenance, so the front yard had to be less work. Gradually eliminating the lawn over the first three years, the owner planted Mediterranean: lavenders, bay laurel, grasses, succulents and caccti (mostly in pots because of winter rot problems). The owner couldn't resist adding some fruit trees to the frontyard, planting fig, Moro blood orange, Pakistani mulberry and avocado trees. Eliminating the front lawn decreased water usage by half!

The owner hand waters the garden to further check water consumption. Now that the back breaking part is over, he loves reaping the fruit, seeing the seasons change, and observing the wildlife that shares his garden!

3620 Mountain View Avenue

2011-12-15T05:25:00.000-08:00

There are really no words that can express what a special experience this is. Both front and back yards will be open to the tour. This home is on the Mar Vista Historical Tour as one of the earliest homes built in Mar Vista. For fifty five years, the artist who owns this home has collected artifacts and turned this into a virtual museum of Southwestern plants and art. Give yourself extra time to explore and meander here as it takes time to absorb everything – with each step, there is a new discovery. Between hardscape, DG and drought resistant plants, this is the perfect example of just how special it can be to let go of a conventional lawn!

11835 South Park Avenue

2011-12-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

This is a must see for so many reason!

This husband and wife have a design/build business . He is a licensed contractor and she is an architectural designer. They built this house in 2004 but just completed this landscape project in October 2009 – and for those of us who are neighbors, it was a delight to watch!

They wanted a low water consumption landscape as well as edible trees and a vegetable garden. They accomplished all of that and more. The front yard had the best sunlight for this, so their raised garden beds and fruit trees went in the front yard. They have rain barrels, a composter, and a chicken coop with hens that lay 16 eggs a week. All of this is topped off with a life size statue of a cow!

The parkway is a combination of drought resistant plants and succulents in decomposed granite. It will be a treat to watch this as it matures.

They worked in collaboration with Steve Silva of Suburban Design Inc., a landscape design firm, to achieve the outdoor spaces they had always wanted. He was amazing at getting the right gardening soil and picking all the right plants and placing them together in an aesthetic manner.

In addition to their solar pool heater, they are in the process of installing solar panals on the roof. They expect to save $200 a month off their utility bill in addition to money they save on eggs!

2561 Barry Avenue

2011-12-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

Outdoor living space surrounded by a sustainable garden

This sustainable, water-wise garden wraps around the house providing outdoor spaces for lounging, dining and entertaining. Designed by Ania Lejman of ALD Landscape Design/Build and completed in early 2010, it replaced turf with permeable paving of decomposed granite, gravel and Santa Barbara area stone. The garden maximizes outdoor living while minimizing maintenance and upkeep. Barbeques with friends, bird and insect activity, and encounters with friendly neighbors have all increased since completion of the garden makeover. See before shots in this wonderful profile by Lisa Boone in the LA Times Pro Portfolio.

The low-lying front landscape is a mix of drought tolerant native plants and succulents. Small trees retained from the original garden—including a Southwestern native acacia that is home to hummingbirds and finches—provide a canopy of shade. A low stucco wall topped by a wood trellis separates the yard from the street, providing a sense of privacy while still permitting the owner to meet and greet neighbors while lounging on the front patio. The owner has met more neighbors in the past year than in the 15 years before the garden makeover.

A walkway of flagstone and decomposed granite—lined with a sweep of steely-blue Leymus grass and rosemary and anchored with dwarf citrus trees—leads to the backyard. Herbs grow in built in planters conveniently located next to the kitchen door.

In a corner of the backyard, low-voltage lighting highlights the beautiful structure of a 100-year old prolifically fruiting avocado tree. Permeable gravel surrounds the tree. A generously sized corner built-in seating area with a gas-fed cast iron fire bowl make this a cozy space top lounge after an outdoor dinner with friends.

A low-emitter drip system, run once weekly, irrigates the garden. The landscape designer will be available to answer questions during the Tour. Visitors can also see the solar panels and tankless water heater.

3654 Meier Street

2011-12-03T18:07:00.000-08:00

After remodeling their small Mar Vista Home six years ago, these garden enthusiasts decided to dig up the front lawn, which had died due to lack of water. They bought a few drought tolerant plants and planted them helter-skelter in the front yard in the hopes that they would take. Since that time the garden has become a "breath of fresh air". Bees, butterflies and birds visit year round and help pollinate their “favorite place on Earth”.

This past summer, after ceremoniously digging out the last little patch of grass, the homeowners installed a small patch of decomposed granite. After considering an irrigation system, they eventually decided that the joys of hand watering and the pleasure of spending quality time with their plants made irrigation irrelevant. They started raising chickens a year ago, receiving the benefits of both eggs and compost material that was spread liberally in the garden. Their pond recycles the water used and creates a lovely habitat for other creatures. They have a small and large compost area. They are having great fun with the succulents, clipping cuttings and enjoying their growth all year long.

They have an abundance of peaches, plums and grapes in the summer. The homeowners lovingly attend to their plants on a daily basis. Gardening has become not just a hobby, but a meditation and a lifestyle for this couple. Their grown children often comment on the ever-changing landscape that results from this constant attentiveness. These committed, inspired gardeners hope that someday lawnmowers and leaf blowers will become obsolete, and the air will be filled with the “sound of peacefully growing plants”.

13001 Morningside Way

2011-12-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

The homeowner moved onto the property in July 2010. If you have ever encountered that crazy intersection of Morningside Way, Beethoven and Rose Ave, just southwest of the Santa Monica Airport, you know how busy it can get. The front yard consisted of overgrown juniper bushes and lawn. The owner realized that an antidote for the dreary landscape and car traiffic had to be concocted.

Using the permaculture model, he covered the lawn with flattened cardboard boxes, then spread mulch from the ground up with junipers on top. This killed off most of the grass over the next several months while plans percolated for the front yard space.

In early Spring 2011 he built a 3' cinderblock wall around the perimiter and came up with a design for paths and planter beds. Edible Earth Designs in San Francisco executed the plan, created luschous planting beds with compost and mulch. They put in a drip irigation and populted the site with fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and wild flowers. They followed the permaculture model of planting and creating ground cover throughout the site. Some composting is still taking place on site.

In the middle of construction the homeowner was suddenly inspired to create arbors that would cover part of the walkway and allow for hanging fruit and climbing roses. He put up a tire swing in the parkway to encourage kids & parents to pause and view the garden while walking in the neighborhood.

For the finishing work on two gates, this creative, artistic gardener used recycled materials and plans to continue that aesthetic throughout the property.

Space has been set aside for a pond, sundial and fountain, with 2012 as the target completion date.

Perhaps most immediate impact of this landscaping project was the profound sense of well-being that the homeowner experienced. The garden, which can be viewed from both Rose and Morningside, has become a focus of appreciation by the neighbors. The owner encourages people to help themselves to fruits and vegies, always leaving some for the next person. This aesthetically pleasing, unique and natural-looking front yard has enriched the community through it’s beauty as well as it’s bounty.

A before shot of the property

3200 Butler Avenue

2011-11-30T06:02:00.000-08:00

Red flowers at left are California fuchsia, purple by porch is Mexican bush sage, yellow at left is bladderpod, purple at right is another sage

Mexican bush sage (purple flowers) in foreground, purple sage back left.
Sycamore and persimmon trees growing.

This garden was inspired by the first MV Green Garden Tour when they saw a garden with decomposed granite that was totally rainwatered. They wanted a native plant garden that would support native pollinators and be like walking up in the Santa Monica mountains. Their goal was that it would eventually become just rain watered to save water.

In summer of 2009 they took out the lawn with the help of their gardener. In December 2009 they planted 80 native plants out of the 120 on the full plan by a landscape designer who loves native plants. They were able to get a $2,000 rebate from DWP which was paying $1 per square foot of lawn removed.

Many of you saw this as a newly planted garden on the 2010 tour and will love seeing the result! Some plants grew and some died. They've replanted some areas and decided to change some plants from the original plan. It has a beautiful rain chain to decrease rain runoff; a persimmon and a pineapple guava tree. In 2011 they added a circulating fountain and 3 more rain barrels. The 1 gallon sycamore tree is now 15 feet tall 2 years after planting!

They love the fact that birds, butterflies and bees are attracted to the garden. It looks good and smells fabulous. In good weather they love to sit on the porch, look at the flowers and watch the wildlife. They’re still learning how to prune, how to water optimally (they still hand-water once a week during dry weather) and how the plants will look when mature. Pruning is free aromatherapy. And they've cut their water bill by more than 1/2. Jacky Bolbat, the landscape designer, is hoping to be available the day of the tour.

3904 Michael Avenue

2011-11-26T07:07:00.000-08:00

New to the tour for 2012!

When these homeowners go into their garden, it's not just a place to look at pretty plants… it's to create an actual adrenaline rush. Their backyard is a true sportman's destination that includes a regulation size half-pipe skateboard ramp, firepit, raised veggie bed, dry dock for their ocean-worthy catamaran, outdoor shower for after surfing and a large communal table and grill for entertaining friends who come by the beach almost every weekend.

So for this couple, a traditional lawn bordered with water thirsty plants was definitely out of the question. After turning off the water and letting the lawn die, in the fall of 2010 they hired landscape designer Joel Lichtenwalter of Grow Outdoor Design to help create a mostly CA native and Mediterranean landscape that is a feast for the senses: including the scents, colors and textures of their adopted home. In place of the lawn, the ground is a pattern of large expanses of DG (decomposed granite), modern square concrete pavers and shredded bark mulch which nourishes the soil. The vegetation includes CA native salvia clevelandii, manzanitas, leymus and deergrasses, ceanothus and a fast-growing native Sycamore tree. Mediterranean plants include colorful leucadendrons, Euphorbias, agaves and a bronze-red Dodonaea border along the perimeter. An existing pomegranate tree and new raised veggie beds and citrus trees make eating locally really mean local.

The next spring the designer tackled the front yard, again removing the dead lawn and replacing it with a geometric path to the front door using square concrete pavers. Along the journey, one encounters more native grasses, salvias, avocado and camphor trees, golden sedums border the pavers, cistus, ceanothus and the native coyote brush groundcover are quickly covering the shredded bark mulch. The parkways are planted with more sycamores, avocados and ceanothus. The landscaping is a perfect synthesis of homeowner and location. When they walk into their yard, they truly feel alive.

Joel Lichtenwalter of Grow Outdoor Design will be at the garden the day of the tour.

4106 Marcasel Avenue

2011-11-25T15:45:00.000-08:00

New garden on the 2012 Tour!

This is a fun visit with multiple outdoor zones that each create a different lifestyle experience!

This property began as 15,000 square feet of grass and the owners knew they wanted to make it as drought tolerant as possible. It didn’t have to happen all at once, and they have transitioned gradually. They immediately removed the grass from the parkway and filled it with California Natives and drought tolerant plants - instantly reducing their water bill. Next they removed the grass and amended the soil in a large part at the back of the yard to create an edible garden where they grow a variety of fruits and vegetables year round.

The edible garden has given them much more than produce. It is a great learning experience for the kids and a way to meet neighbors. It provides them with a use for all of their compostable food scraps, provides exercise and improves their lives in so many other ways. Their garden is connected to a neighbors garden which gets different sun light, so they grow different things and share. It has been one of the best parts of the garden. In the summer, they all sit out back between the gardens, enjoying a glass of wine and whatever delicious dishes they can create from their bounty as the kids play and the parents have some grown up time together.

Two years ago they removed the front lawn, replacing it with gravel and last year they began landscaping the rest of the backyard. It was important that the design make the outdoors a seamless living area with the interior. They also wanted low water output and even less maintainance. Using a mixture of natives, drought tolerant plants, drip irrigation and a low water lawn allowed them to accomplish their goals.

Their family was literally the first visitor on the first Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase in 2009 (they arrived on bikes an hour early!) and the tour played a big part in shaping their plans. They’ve been able to see so many plants and how the gardens filled in over the years of the tours. They asked the owners a lot of questions when touring the gardens to see what worked and what didn’t - what was maintenance free, what dropped leaves or berries. The biggest contribution from the tours was in their hardscaping plans. They had originally planned on a lot of DG, but did not like the way it wore down, and that it took a lot of maintenance to keep the weeds out. They looked at various weed blocks, and weed blocking solutions. With so many gardens, they were exposed to many different hardscape mediums. They inquired about watering needs of the plants they liked, and sun exposure requirements so that once established the plants they ultimately chose did well right off the bat.

They built the pool rather shallow with only a little bit of a deep end. The plaster is grey so it absorbs the sun better than a white bottom, and they have a cover that is not solar but is useful in keeping the warmth in during the evenings. They have mastered allowing the pool to soak up the maximum amount of sun during the day, and cover it at night allowing for a rather long season without ever heating the pool (April – October).

This garden is not only green because of the plants, but because they used Craigslist, neighbors and friends to pillage from. All their agave was given to them by a nice neighbor on Charnock who had a plant taking over his whole yard. A succulent that is now the entire background of the fence line began as cuttings given to them on a Craigslist run. The black aeonium lining the pool were cuttings from a neighbor on East. They bought mulch by the truckload and shared the cost with a neighbor in order to save on delivery charges (not to mention fuel and all those plastic bags).

Deni Friese designed the drip irrigation system in the backyard and will be on hand to provide information.

3840 Berryman Avenue

2011-11-23T05:46:00.000-08:00

This garden was selected to represent the tour by Emily Green on Chance of Rain in 2010. Last year the homeowners remodeled - this year it is back and even more spectacular! There is always something remarkable occurring in this garden. I walk past this house nearly every morning and it is a treat to watch the cactus and succulents as they bloom.

Both front and back are a DIY project (this accounts for the relatively haphazard design). They started the front about eight years ago because they didn't want to maintain a lawn (watering costs, etc.). They purchased some of the cacti -- others arrived via "less direct" routes. Several of the cacti yield fruit that some people enjoy. The last two years -- they last showcased the garden in 2009 -- have seen some significant growth in all of the plants. A few had to be removed to accommodate a remodeling, but, for the most part, they managed to keep the garden intact. The garden takes virtually no watering -- maybe every couple of months during the dry season.

They have also installed a solar electrical system that provides 80% of their power. The system is leased, rather than purchased. Between the DWP electrical bill and the monthly lease, they pay approximately $59.00 per month for electricity.

They've made several other environmentally -- and economically -- beneficial changes as well, and will happily discuss them with interested people on the tour. They have installed a “loop” hot water line, along with a small pump that keeps the hot water circulating through the loop to the showers at the far end of the house. As a result, they save about 2 gallons of water per shower, plus much water at both bathroom faucets. They have also installed a flow valve on the showerhead in the master bedroom. It isn’t designed to shut the water off completely, but it allows them to greatly reduce the flow while shampooing and lathering. Lastly – and this is a very simple improvement – they have turned the flow valves under each of the bathroom sinks down to about 50%. That’s more than enough for hand/face washing, and it saves a good deal of water.

4060 East Boulevard

2011-11-22T06:25:00.000-08:00

a family of itty bitty fish...the liquid fertilizer machines!

This location is home to the birthplace of EVO Farm, likely the only commercial farm in West LA. Using a method of intensive, sustainable food production called Aquaponics, it is able to grow more food per square foot than any other method, while also being the most water efficient.

Aquaponics is the merging of hydroponics (soilless food production) and aquaculture (fish farming). Simply put, the fish (which can be edible varieties) provide the fertilizer for the plants while the plants filter the water for the fish. It’s a symbiotic relationship that demonstrates biomimicry in its truest form.

A typically aquaponics system uses 90% less water than conventional farms. But EVO Farm pushed further to rely on rainwater catchment to provide all of the needs for the fish and plants. Not only does the system have zero impact on water usage, but it also exceeds organic standards. With an emphasis on heirloom varieties, EVO Farm grows some 40 varieties of lettuces alone, plus kale, bok choi, leeks, tomatoes, herbs, peppers, celery, mustard greens, cress, and more.

To further lessen its impact, EVO Farm turns all of its waste streams into opportunity. Anything that is not directly consumed is composted to generate worm castings, which can be reintegrated to the system in the form of tea. Another compost pile is harnessing the power of biodegeneration to help regulate water temperature by transferring heat from the pile to the aquapoincs system.

EVO Farm sells its food through a CSA on a limited basis to the local community and will be expanding its shares when its’ new locations come online in 2012.

Thank You for an Amazing Tour!

2011-11-14T14:51:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Archie's Garden

Thank you for joining us on the 3rd annual Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase! The tour was a huge success, with thousands of people visiting Mar Vista to join us as neighbors met neighbors and we inspired each other with ways to live more sustainably. We shared examples and tips about drought resistant landscaping, edible gardens, composting techniques, water capture and even chickens! It was so much fun – you could turn just about any corner in Mar Vista and find people walking and biking down our streets, maps in hand as we went from garden to garden. Thank you to the many volunteers that made it such a huge success!

The great news is, it doesn’t need to end! The gardens and maps will be posted on our blog for the rest of the year. Come back anytime and use them to plan a nice afternoon walk or bike ride. See all of the gardens on the 2011 tour here. You can find the mapped walking tours and a little history of Mar Vista here.

We had a lot of great press!
The Argonaut
Emily Green in the LA Times The Dry Garden
Preview garden 5N in this LA Times feature by Lisa Boone
Fresh Dirt - Sunset Magazine by Sharon Cohoon-gardens 5F, 5B &5M

There are several map options -
Bike Map – this is a cool bike route created by Alex Thompson for Bikeside
Google maps of the six different areas - Map 1, Map 2, Map 3, Map 4, Map 5, Map 6
Make your own tour using this master Google Mar Vista Green Garden Map
You can print out the maps that were published for the tour - PDF of Maps 1 - 4, PDF of Maps 5 - 6 (note – these require creating a sign in account)

Want to be on the tour next year? Write to us at Jeanne@marvista.org or Sherri@marvista.org

2nd Annual Shoe Drive - Please help!

2011-10-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

This is why we are doing this....

2^nd Annual Shoe Drive

SAVE YOUR SHOES. Last year our generous community donated over 800 pairs of shoes to the charity Soles4Souls. That’s a lot of shoes! Melissa Stoller, drive organizer, is collecting shoes again on October 30 at the Mar Vista Farmers’ Market MVCC Green Committee booth. There are also two new collection sites: Mar Vista School is collecting shoes at their Big Boo carnival October 29, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.; Manu beauty salon, 2920 Wilshire, Santa Monica, is collecting shoes through November 2 (thanks Kris de la Vara).

Soles4Souls offers a simple way to help reduce the strain on our environment: donating gently worn footwear. Soles4Souls saves these shoes from early death in a landfill by distributing them to needy people around the world. Recipients treasure this gift for years to come; for some, it’s their first pair of shoes. Since its inception following the Asian tsunami, Soles4Souls has distributed nearly 15 million pairs to people in 127 countries, including the United States.

Start cleaning your closet now. Soles4Souls wants all types of shoes, from your kid’s outgrown tennis shoes to those rarely worn heels. Look in your closet and ask yourself, “Am I really going to wear these shoes again?” Every pair can make a difference.

Remember, this is about RECYCLING as well as helping others. Please bring you donation in a reusable bag—or stuff them in an old pillowcase. You can dump your shoes in the collection box and keep your bag for another use.

Want to help? Employees at the Radisson LAX are collecting shoes again this year. Perhaps your school, sports program or business can collect shoes for the drive. Melissa also needs help sorting and packing the shoes, as well as boxes to pack them in. Contact Melissa Stoller at melissa@stollerdesign.com.

The Master Gardeners Return!

2011-10-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Photo by Master Gardener Ade Onaolapo

The UCCE LA County Master Gardeners are back with seeds, seedlings and advice to give away at the Market on Sunday 10/23.

In addition to their usual giveaways of plants and seeds, this month, the UCCE/LA County Master Gardeners will be joined by Tom Shea with UC/Cooperative Extension in Moreno Valley, who will bring materials to help you identify a deadly pest and disease that could wipe out our citrus trees, the Citrus Psyllid. While the plant nursery world is aware of and taking preventive actions, it's the backyard gardener who will be the vanguard in preventing its spread from one tree to the next. So come, get educated, and let's keep our area safe for citrus.

While you're there, ask them about the award winning Seed Library of Los Angeles - see this article in the LA Times!

Since 1978, UC Cooperative Extension's Common Ground Program has made gardening possible for many Los Angeles County residents, particularly low-income and traditionally underrepresented families. The program goals are to improve nutrition; increase access to fresh, low-cost produce; offer gardening education; build bridges between neighbors and communities; help create employment opportunities; and encourage a cleaner, greener Los Angeles. We are thrilled to have them as our guest at the booth on the 4th Sunday of every month! Families learn how to garden, grow their own food and prepare it in a healthful manner. In addition, the program trains community volunteers and Master Gardeners, who in turn, volunteer their time to community and school gardens. This is a wonderful program - you may even want to explore signing up for the Master Gardener volunteer training program!

Meet Food & Water Watch!

2011-10-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

Stop by the MVCC Green Tent at the Mar Vista Farmers Market on Sunday October 16th to learn what Food and Water Watch is doing to promote local food!

Since 2006, the consumer advocacy non-profit Food and Water Watch has promoted equitable access to safe drinking water, and the return to local and sustainable food systems. Currently, the national organization is advocating for a Fair Farm Bill, which will protect small farmers ability to compete, as well as consumers’ choice in regards to healthy food. Food and Water Watch works closely with local community organizations to empower individuals to take command of their food options. Although active at the local level, the organization ultimately works toward changing the national dialogue on food issues, and the power relations within the system. Food and Water Watch is always looking to partner with local members of the community, and local community groups—join the movement and find out how Food and Water Watch benefits you!

Green Halloween at the Mar Vista Farmers Market!

2011-10-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

Healthy for Kids and the Environment

Join Mar Vista Community Council, Mar Vista Farmers Market &
Los Angeles Costume Swap for a GREEN-o-ween Event on

Sunday October 9

Mar Vista Farmers Market at the MVCC Green Tent

9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Traditional Halloween colors may be orange and black, but it's okay to add a bit of GREEN.Halloween costumes are big business for both for kids and adults. Rather than buy a one-time Halloween costume and then place it in storage until it's thrown away, try swapping it!

Swap, Not Shop!

Kids and adults will get the chance to swap new-to-them costumes --
saving money and the environment -- instead of buying new ones
that often contain unsafe materials and end up in landfills.

Bring a costume, swap a costume.
Bring 3, swap 2 and donate 1 to a local homeless child or teenager.

The nationwide Costume Swaps will help reduce landfills by 6200 tons. . .and that's only if half the kids in America swapped costumes!

Free Samples!

We advocate crafting, books, safe toys and healthy or sugar-free trick-or-treat items in place of candy. There will be activities for the entire family to enjoy throughout the day.

Pirates, Face Painting, Masquerade troupe, Speakers, Resources and a Trashion Show!

Los Angeles Costume Swap is a non-profit group whose goal is to help children learn to embrace their imagination and celebrate what is healthy for both themselves and the planet. More information here

Mar Vista Fall Festival!

2011-10-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

Confused About GMO's?

2011-09-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

Andy Shrader will be our guest at the MVCC Green Tent on Sunday October 2nd - stop by to learn why he wants to get the labeling of genetically modified foods on the ballot in 2012!

Since the early 1990’s the United States has allowed companies to include genetically-engineered (GMO) ingredients in foods without labeling them, involving children and adults in a long-term health experiment without their knowledge or ability to make an informed choice about what they put in their bodies.

Genetic-engineering is the direct human manipulation of an organism’s genome using modern DNA technology, generally involving the introduction of foreign DNV or synthetic genes into the organism. There are, so far, three generations of genetically-modified crops: crops modified to resist insects and herbicides through the introduction of herbicide or pesticide genes into their seeds; crops modified to improve salt, drought, and cold tolerance; and pharmaceutical crops which contain edible vaccines and other drugs. Additionally, some farm animals have been genetically-modified with growth hormones to increase their size.

According to the Millions Against Monsanto website:

- 91 % of soybeans grown in the U.S. are GMOs.

- 88% of cotton is genetically-modified.

- 75% of corn has been genetically-modified.

If not certified organic, these foods most likely contain GMOs:

Beef, Pork, Poultry
Dairy
Fish
Eggs
Corn syrup
Corn starch
Corn oil
Cornmeal
Fructose
Dextrose
Glucose
Soy meal
Lecithin
Isoflavone
Soy protein isolate
Vegetable oil
Cottonseed oil
Canola oil
Aspartame
Vitamin E
Xanthan gum
Tempeh
Tofu
Vitamin B-12
Baking powder
MSG

Although the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) scientists warn of possible increased allergies, toxicity and unforeseen possible health implications, the head of the FDA (a former employee in the biotech industry) instead established a policy of “substantial equivalence,” which means that a novel food should be considered the same and as safe as a conventional food if it demonstrates the same characteristics and composition as the conventional food.

There have been no controlled, long-terms studies on the health risks to humans. Since there is no labeling, foods cannot be tracked. Please see Robyn O’Brien’s TED talk (www.labelgmos.org) to watch a short video that explains much of the background on this issue.

Over 30 countries, including the European Union (EU) and Japan, label genetically engineered foods. The EU has a “precautionary principle” of “prove it is safe before selling it” when dealing with products with potential health issues whereas the USDA and FDA have a policy of “use it until proven dangerous.” There have been several unsuccessful attempts to move labeling legislation through Congress since 1999. Fourteen states have adopted some sort of labeling legislation. The Center For Food Safety and the California State Assembly have attempted labeling legislation numerous times over the years. Earlier in 2011, CA Assemblyman Huffman (D-Marin), introduced AB 88 which would have required labeling of genetically engineered fish, should the FDA approve the Aquabounty Salmon which has been poised for market since last year. The bill did not make it out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Standing up to tremendous industry pressure and financial muscle against GMO labeling, this year a grandmother from Chico, California, Pamm Larry, has introduced “Label GMOs,” a California Ballot Initiative for 2012.

Come learn more about the issue and what you can do, this Sunday, 9am – 2pm at the Mar Vista Green Committee booth from grassroots organizer and former MVCC Councilmember, Andy Shrader, who, in 2003, introduced the resolution founding the Mar Vista Farmer’s Market to give his neighbors a convenient organic alternative to Frankenfood.

For more information

Label GMOs in California: http://labelgmos.org/

Organic Consumers Association: http://www.organicconsumers.org/

Millions Against Monsanto: http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/

Also, please find each of them on Facebook.

Sunday is HEROS DAY at the MVCC Green Tent!

2011-09-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Mom, Dad, kids and friends;

WELCOME to the Los Angeles Costume Swap. Our costume swap event is fast approaching and on September 18th from 9 a.m. – 2p.m, at Mar Vista’s Farmer’s Market, we will be giving you just a preview of whats to come in October. We are a non-profit – our goals are to show that Halloween can be Green and fun by embracing our imaginations.

This coming Sunday is HEROS DAY. We'll have a contest for those dressed as their favorite hero, with the winner being chosen by the loudest cheers at 11 am from the audience. The Superhero will be awarded package will be filled with goodies:

Four tickets to Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (contest is not sponsored by Natural History Museum of Los Angeles)

Emerald Green Aluminum Drink Container

Tulip Craft Mat

Endangered Species Chocolate Bar

Alien Hero T-Shirt

Runner-up – Halloween skeleton by Toymakers

At 12 Noon, we have a Steampunk Contest

See the amazing costumes or come dress in your best Steampunk fashion (no villains) and win a Steampunk Box filled with treasures!

Set of 4 3D Steampunk Robot Magnets by Zach manchester and available only on NeatoShop.com

Infinity 101, SPIKE Ray Gun by Agent of Chaos

Four tickets to Skirball Cultural Center (contest is not sponsored by Skirball)

Treasure Box by Artist Andrea Gibson

Runner-up- Steampunk inspired costume dress

More Contest Information - http://www.losangelescostumeswap.com/Contests.html

We are also offering free samples, accepting your Chocobag contest designs to be shipped to Chico for the contest and will provide more information about our Trashion show and contest!

Sincerely,

Alivia Hunter
(323) 744-1667

FREE Green Living Workshops and Free Goodies Too!

2011-09-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

Free workshops and free goodies too! Shower heads, faucet aerators, CFL lights, reusable bags, tire pressure gauges, food bars – each night of the workshop you will leave with a special give away to help you on your path to sustainability. And each week one lucky person will win a raffle item too!

The Sustainable Works Green Living Workshop returns to Mar Vista on October 5^th! Stop by the MVCC Green Tent this Sunday 9/18 to get more info or pre-register.

Are you one of the lucky 100+ that took the FREE Sustainable Works Green Living Workshop in Mar Vista? It's coming back - please help us spread the word! OUTREACH, EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION are key components that can’t be ignored with the new LADWP rate plan. This is our chance to send them that message!

Normally, this course is only offered in Santa Monica and a $50 donation is requested from LA residents. Based on the incredible impact that had in our community Councilman Bill Rosendahl awarded them an LADWP grant and there will be 5 more FREE workshops held in LA. Also, for the first time ever, they will offer 20 FREE business greening consults! Our goal – and the reason for our 2010 pilot – is to get these funded by the City of LA on an ongoing basis (as it is in Santa Monica). With rates for water and power climbing, we KNOW that the increases can be offset by the simple tips you learn in these programs.

Each week’s class focuses on a separate aspect of greening your home and life – water, energy, waste, chemicals, transportation and shopping. The classes give you a deeper understanding of the issues and each week you leave with 10 actions that ultimately help you to –

• divert solid waste through recycling
• become water efficient
• eliminate toxic chemicals
• minimize transportation impacts
• reduce energy use
• and learn to make better consumer choices

Please help us spread the word! Email sherri@marvista.org if you would like us to email you flyers. We are so grateful for Bill Rosendahl’s support on this - help us make sure that LA gets a very clear message that this will make a difference.

A Special Thank You to Laura Bodensteiner!

2011-09-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

Laura Bodensteiner with Jeanne Kuntz, Sherri Akers and Joseph Treves, accepting a Certificate of Recognition from LA City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl.

It was with profound sadness that Albert Olson conveyed to the MVCC Board the resignation of one of our most esteemed members, Laura Bodensteiner. For all of us whose lives have been touched by the MVCC Green Committee, the loss is particularly poignant as Laura founded the committee and has served as its Co-Chair since its inception.

Laura and her family are moving to a new home in a new city – we have to envy the new community for what they will gain. While managing an active household with three small children and her amazing business, Tickled Plum (doing custom handcrafted stationary, invitations and announcements), she also invested untold hours for our community. She served as Secretary of the MVCC Board and as Editor of the MVCC Newsletter. It will be a challenge to fill those shoes.

For the Green Committee, we are losing an amazing partner. Behind the scenes, Laura made the inside business run like clockwork and did the wonderful graphics and maps for the Green Garden Showcase. Personally, she was my sounding board and my teacher. The committee that she launched has changed my life and I will forever be grateful. For all of us whose lives have been touched by the emphasis on sustainability in Mar Vista, we have Laura to thank.

The September 13^th MVCC Board meeting will be our last chance to thank Laura and say goodbye. Please join us to wish her well! For those of you on facebook, feel free to post your best wishes on our Facebook wall.

With deep admiration and gratitude,

Sherri Akers

Learn How to Reduce the Cost of Going Solar!

2011-09-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

Translucent SANYO HIT roof deck

Brennan’s roof deck

Open Neighborhoods returns to the Green Booth on Sunday September 11^th to demonstrate how property owners can reduce the cost of going solar by 75%!

Mar Vista neighbors James Brennan and John Ayers will be on hand on Sunday, September 11^th to present information about the Los Angeles County Solar Challenge – offering up to $40,000 to school booster clubs, religious institutions and other non-profit organizations in LA County who help their communities switch to clean energy from the Sun.

As part of the Solar Challenge, Open Neighborhoods has pre-negotiated a thirty-three percent group discount from leading Los Angeles-based solar installer PermaCity on the purchase of solar panel installations – bringing the cost of going solar down to $4.40 per Watt of power provided, compared to the recent city-wide average of $8.50 per Watt. Alternatively, as part of the program participants can opt for a 25% discount on a zero-down lease option with monthly payment less than your electric bill.

Brennan and Ayers will be joined at the Green Booth by a representative from PermaCity to demonstrate a new innovation in solar technology that helps reduce installation costs. The new system, called AC Unison, includes built-in “microinverters” that make it economical to get started with a single panel. Developed by Austin, Texas-based SolarBridge Technologies, the microinverters are an energy conversion device that is mounted on the back of each solar panel. The technology avoids the additional expense of installing a separate inverter to convert solar energy into AC power. This makes the panels more efficient by reducing the energy waste that typically occurs when power is transferred from a solar panel to a separate inverter. The AC Unison system is manufactured by AU Optronics, the world’s third largest producer of flat-screen TV’s.

Also available though the Open Neighborhoods program are a solar carport as well as other popular solar panel models such as the translucent SANYO HIT installed on Brennan’s roof deck in Mar Vista (pictured), which allows filtered light to pass through and increases efficiency by also generating power from reflected light on the underside.

This month the Los Angeles DWP solar incentive program has just restarted -- offering rebates to property owners who install solar. The rebates can reduce installation costs by roughly 50% for average homes after group discounts are applied.

For more information or to request a free solar assessment visit www.openneighborhoods.net/gosolar.

Sustainable Works Green Living Workshop Hits Los Angeles

2011-09-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

Six Topics Covered in the Workshops

The LA Kick Off - Mar Vista, 2010

I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word “workshop”, I usually think “work!” ala Maynard G Krebs. But Gina Garcia’s performance at the opening night of the free Green Living Workshops in Pacific Palisades felt more like a night out. The 90-minute event combined environmental awareness with a potpourri of memorable anecdotes, electrifying images, sobering facts and, thank God, easy to implement solutions for our environmental woes. Since I had taken the Mar Vista GLW over a year ago with Nancy Barba at the helm, I thought I would already know it all. I soon realized that I had forgotten more than I remembered. Like the fact that the average Mar Vistan uses more than 40 time their fair share of the Earth’s resources. (Translation: Our carbon footprint is way too big.) I particularly enjoyed the clever anecdotes delivered at regular intervals throughout the event. For example, do you know where our obsession with lawns originated? In 18^th century England the well-to-do left a wide swath of earth planted with lawn, rather than vegetables in their front yards. This advertised to the neighborhood that they could afford to sacrifice some of their precious earth for pure enjoyment rather than the necessity of food. Commoners, on the other hand, used every bit of land to grow much-needed crops. That’s right, lawns are a snobbish sign of aristocracy. Isn't that why we broke away from England to begin with?

If you missed this workshop, don’t fret. We will have our own Green Living Workshop series starting up on October 5 at the nearby Bundy Campus of Santa Monica College, Wednesdays from 7-8:30.

Learn more at the Mar Vista Farmer's Market this Sunday, September 4, where Sustainable Works will be the guest at the Green Tent.

Jeanne Kuntz combines sustainable, stress-free living with health and wellness. Learn more about successful behavior change on her website, TeachingWellness.com

FREE Green Living Workshops and Business Greening Consults!

2011-08-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Visit the Green Tent at the Mar Vista Farmers Market on Sunday September 4th to learn about where you can take the FREE Sustainable Works Green Living Workshop or get a FREE business greening consult for your company!

Do you know any of the lucky 100+ that took the FREE Sustainable Works Green Living Workshop in Mar Vista? Well, it's coming back and you have another chance - please help us spread the word! OUTREACH, EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION are key components that can’t be ignored with the new LADWP rate plan. This is our chance to send them that message!

Normally, this course is only offered in Santa Monica and a $50 donation is requested from LA residents. Based on the incredible impact that had in our community Councilman Bill Rosendahl awarded them an LADWP grant and there will be 5 more FREE workshops held in LA. Also, for the first time ever, they will offer 20 FREE business greening consults! Our goal – and the reason for our 2010 pilot – is to get these funded by the City of LA on an ongoing basis (as it is in Santa Monica). With rates for water and power climbing, we KNOW that the increases can be offset by the simple tips you learn in these programs.

The first workshop begins tomorrow August 30^th (in the Palisades – tell your friends!) and the second begins October 5^th in Mar Vista at the SMC Bundy Campus. Pre-registration is required. To propose you business for the LA grant version of the business greening program, contact BORLIDO_SUSY@smc.edu

Each week’s class focuses on a separate aspect of greening your home and life – water, energy, waste, chemicals, transportation and shopping. The classes give you a deeper understanding of the issues and each week you leave with 10 actions that ultimately help you to –

• divert solid waste through recycling
• become water efficient
• eliminate toxic chemicals
• minimize transportation impacts
• reduce energy use
• and learn to make better consumer choices

Please help us spread the word! Email sherri@marvista.org if you would like us to email you flyers. We are so grateful for Bill Rosendahl’s support on this - help us make sure that LA gets a very clear message that this will make a difference.

They're Back! the Master Gardeners Return to the MVCC Green Tent!

2011-08-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

Photo by Master Gardener Ade Onaolapo

The LA County Master Gardeners return this Sunday! The end of summer means the start of your fall and winter garden, and the UCCE/LA County Master Gardeners will be at the market with plenty of seasonal veggie seedlings, including bush beans, lettuces, kale and much more, plus tips on Fall/Winter Gardening Basics and what to plant from seed in September and October.

While you're there, ask them about the Seed Library of Los Angeles - see this article in the LA Times!

Since 1978, UC Cooperative Extension's Common Ground Program has made gardening possible for many Los Angeles County residents, particularly low-income and traditionally underrepresented families. The program goals are to improve nutrition; increase access to fresh, low-cost produce; offer gardening education; build bridges between neighbors and communities; help create employment opportunities; and encourage a cleaner, greener Los Angeles. We are thrilled to have them as our guest at the booth on the 4th Sunday of every month! Families learn how to garden, grow their own food and prepare it in a healthful manner. In addition, the program trains community volunteers and Master Gardeners, who in turn, volunteer their time to community and school gardens. This is a wonderful program - you may even want to explore signing up for the Master Gardener volunteer training program!

EVOFarm Demonstrates the Marvel of Aquaponics!

2011-08-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

Everything begins with a seed

Numerous heirloom varieties, all organic

Root structures fully submerged in organic, liquid nutrition

David Rosentein, Founder of EVOFarm, will be demonstrating the marvel of aquaponics at the Mar Vista Farmer's Market on Sunday, August 21^st from 9am - 2pm, with a micro model of an actual aquaponic farm located just bocks from the market in Mar Vista.

What is Aquaponics?

Aquaponics is a unique approach to sustainable food production that merges hydroponics (soilless food production) and aquaculture (fish farming). The fish provide the fertilizer for the plants while the plants filter the water for the fish. It’s a symbiotic relationship that demonstrates biomimicry in its truest form. Aquaponics has some of the highest yields of any food production method and uses very little water with zero waste. It is highly sustainable and exceeds organic certification standards.

EVOFarm’s Mission:

To cultivate resilient communities by producing high yields of produce that are distributed truly locally, using the latest technology, zero waste, minimal water while encompassing best practices in environmental stewardship with economic and social stability.

Join us to Costume Swap!

2011-08-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

Photo and homemade tiger outfit by Marty's Three Girls

Trashion dress photo by Urban Woodswalker

LA Costume Swap will be at the Mar Vista Farmer's Market on Sunday, August 14th from 9am - 2pm to answer questions about the upcoming Green-o-ween event hosted by the Mar Vista Farmers Market on October 9th. Come by to learn how you can costume swap this Halloween and drop-off your costumes for swapping.

This week the MVCC Green Committee will host TWO guests and the booth for LA Costume Swap will be located just across the street. Find out everything from having a greener, healthier Halloween to the Trashion Contest we will hold on October 9th to information on 100 creative ways to reuse your old t-shirts.

Kids and adults will get the chance to swap new-to-them costumes, saving money and the planet by recycling gowns, witches hats, clothing accessories and superhero capes from years past…instead of buying new ones that often contain unsafe materials and end up in landfills. All costumes should be clean and gently used. We are accepting all sizes from children to adult and even pet costumes!

Even if you're unable to attend the actual swapping event in October or if you are in another state you can still donate your swapping opportunity to a needy local child, that may not be able to get a costume. For information on donating your swap opportunity contact:donate@lacostumeswap.info. Please come join us for a fun and informative day with the LA Costume Swap.

We hope to see you there!

FREE Mar Vista Screening of Vanishing of the Bees!

2011-08-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

Join us at a FREE Mar Vista Screening of

Vanishing of the Bees!

Join bee lovers at the August 20^th screening at the Mar Vista Library as we wear yellow and black - feel free to dress up like a beekeeper or even a bee! Come get your picture taken on HoneyLove's HUGE YELLOW CARPET!!
**Sustainable yellow carpet sponsored by bentleyprincestreet.com

2-3pm Photobooth Flashmob Outreach

3-5pm Film Introduction & Screening

Meet Chelsea and Rob McFarland - the founders of HoneyLove

and members of Backwards Beekeepers.

Check out what your neighbors are saying about urban beekeeping!

HoneyLove is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization with a mission to protect the honeybees and inspire and educate new urban beekeepers. Their goal is to connect with 60,000 organic beekeepers and we are working together to urge the City of Los Angeles to approve a pilot project for urban beekeeping in Mar Vista. Stop by to learn why this is so important.

"The future of beekeeping is not in one beekeeper with 60,000 hives, but rather 60,000 people with one hive." -Simon Buxton, Vanishing of the Bees

Ocean View Farms – More Than Gardens

2011-07-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

The Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase has been thrilled that Ocean View Farms, a collection of lovingly-tended garden plots in the middle of Mar Vista, has opened their gardens for our tour all three years. Now we are all taking 60 seconds a day to insure that this 35-year-old queen of urban gardens continues to enrich our community. OVF is in line to receive up to $4,000 dollars from the De La Roach Vineyards urban garden grants contest. With only 4 days left to vote (Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday -July 29-Aug 1, ) our participation is crucial.

OVF will use the grant to expand their children's programs, construct a green house and establish a Monarch butterfly habitat in the gardens. This is also the habitat that we need to nurture our honey bee population.

With over 500 15’ x 15’ individual vegetable plots and an assortment of communal fruit trees, OVF provides a unique opportunity for Mar Vistans without their own land to grow food, flowers and herbs.

Our local community benefits from the free educational workshops and gardening events at OVF. Using the OVF Monarch Way Station as a resting point, the monarch butterflies are grateful for the opportunity to rest at OVF and replenish their tiny bodies with milkweed and other plants. The Monarch Way Station is central to OVF’s junior gardener education program. Local schools visits to OVF inspire future environmentalists through first hand exposure to the joys of nature. Has your school taken advantage of this precious resource? Contact Melody Girard, education consultant, to schedule a tour for your class or school.

Did I mention you can vote daily? Let's see if we can put OVF over the top!

OVF also saves the city of Los Angeles thousands of dollars each year by utilizing over 250 tons of garden trimmings and stable waste that would otherwise been shipped and stuffed into over-crowded landfills.

Their free workshops and events, which are open to the public, focus on the best way to garden in our little patch of paradise. Upcoming events include a September 3 workshop from 10 am to 11 am with LA County Master Food Preserver Rachael Narins of Chicks with Knives. Navins promises to demystify the art of preserving herbs, fruits and vegetables. On October 30 at 10 a.m. Denise de Garmo-Ritchie of Malibu Biodynamic Compost will host “Understanding Biodynamic Gardening.”, an approach that insures high yields and a truly compassionate relationship to the earth.

Learn About Energy Upgrade California

2011-07-14T05:55:00.000-07:00

Judi Lyall of She Builds Green will join reDiscover at the MVCC Green Tent on July 17th to answer questions about the Energy Upgrade California and partner with them on the Energy Champions program.

Take a "whole house" approach

Increasing your home’s efficiency is more than switching out light bulbs—it’s approaching your home as a complete system, with heating, air-conditioning, water and other systems working together more effectively to help lower your bills. Energy Upgrade California provides the professional resources you need to take that “whole house” approach.

An Energy Upgrade can:

Save energy

Help you save money

Make your home more comfortable

Improve indoor air quality

Help the environment

Facts:
Buildings in the United States are responsible for 40% of total energy use, 65% of electricity consumption, and 30 % of greenhouse gas emissions. It is necessary that we lessen the amount of natural resources consumed by buildings and the pollution created by them. Reducing our environmental impact is necessary for future sustainability.

11615 Francis Place

2011-07-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

This front yard is sprinkler free and thrives on just ground water and captured water. This garden is a testament to what can be accomplished by one determined individual. The homeowner started a year and a half ago, and finished it singlehandedly in nine months. The inspiration for this project came from the many xeriscapes in the area. The goal was to lessen the amount of water needed from the City. Native wildlife such as hummingbirds and butterflies hum and flutter .The small amount of lawn that still remains is watered almost entirely by rainwater collected in a rainbarrel. Backyard composting completes this idyllic picture.

JAMIE OLIVER FOOD FOUNDATION at the MVCC GREEN BOOTH!

2011-07-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

Stop by the MVCC Green Booth on Sunday July 10^th to meet Laura Villasenor of the JAMIE OLIVER FOOD FOUNDATION. Chef Jason Neroni of Osteria La Buca will join us to do a workshop on preparing a fresh summer watermelon salad. Learn their fun campaign this summer with local prominent chefs and their restaurants to bring awareness to develop a model for a new school food program to be prepared using fresh, whole ingredients. As we all know, we have a health epidemic here in LA and across America. 1 in 4 kids in LA suffers from childhood obesity!

Community Kitchens

In partnership with the American Heart Association, JOFF is establishing a network of community kitchens to run hands -on cooking classes where children and adults learn how to prepare affordable family meals with fresh, whole ingredients.

Flagship Food Truck

In association with The California Endowment, this mobile food theatre and working kitchen will drive the grassroots movement on the ground to bring food education and cooking workshops to underserved communities.

Grassroots Movement

A supported network of passionate parents and community-based groups to establish local campaigns to improve food in schools across America.

Online and Social Media

The campaign has a live database of hundreds of thousands of people who are ready to engage. A new community website has been launched to capture this community and provide an online hub for the U.S. food movement.

The mission of the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation is to create a national movement that will change the way we eat, to reduce dependency on processed foods and empower Americans to cook. The Jamie Oliver Food Foundation was established to fight obesity and promote better dietary health through food education and cooking skills. JOFF will drive a social movement for cultural change, advocate for better food choices and integrity through the food chain and develop educational programs to promote home cooking, in particular in schools and vulnerable communities.

The Foundation was established by the British chef and activist Jamie Oliver after he won the TED Prize in 2010, to support his Food Revolution campaign. At its heart is Jamie’s belief that “no American child should grow up without the basic skills to feed themselves a healthy diet.”