Strawberries

Strawberries are easy to grow and will spread out to make a nice ground cover. Replace some of your lawn with strawberry plants and you will have nice white flowers, sweet fruit, and less grass to mow.

Desert Gardens

VW tarantula in desert garden.

Eye-catching Tree

This eye-catching tree is growing in a park in Orange County. Southern California is home to lots of trees that bloom in winter.

How to Get Rid of Your Lawn

You may wonder why anyone would want to get rid of a lush green lawn. A well-manicured lawn is beautiful and a sign of prosperity. Well, there are many reasons to get rid of a green, energy consuming lawn. Environmentalists want to avoid polluting the environment with the fumes and noise created by gasoline-powered lawn mowers. Residents of cities with water shortages may not be allowed to water their lawns, or the price of water is outrageous. People who like to watch wildlife may choose to plant native plants that attract hummingbirds, songbirds, and butterflies. Others may just be tired of maintaining all that green grass or paying a gardener, so the lawn gets replaced with masonry, shrubs, trees, or a low maintenance ground cover.

There are many ways to get rid of your green, energy consuming lawn. Homeowners who have the money to pay a contractor can have their property professionally landscaped and put in a pool, a sports court, planters, walkways, a vegetable garden, or low maintenance plants. People who do not want to spend a lot of money can replace their lawn with low maintenance plants on their own.

There are several types of spray-on grass killers that will get rid of your grass. These take a while to kill the grass, and you may need to reapply them several times. Some of these products are eco-friendly, biodegradable, and safe to use around pets, while others are not. Doing an Internet search and reading the labels will provide you with lots of information about these products. Grass in a small area can be removed with a hoe after a good soaking. This requires more manual labor than the spray-on grass killers, but it works instantly. Another way to kill your grass is to cover it with anything that will block out the sun.

A couple of years ago, we decided to kill our front lawn. We began by shutting off the sprinklers during the middle of a Southern California summer. We were amazed that the grass did not die. We had to spray with grass killer to get rid of the grass. We covered the grass with a light layer of newspaper and a couple of inches of mulch to keep the grass from coming back. We left the big evergreen tree in the front yard and added an orange tree.

We planted California native plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. We did some research and planning before purchasing plants. We planted a wide variety of plants, so that we would have flowers blooming year round. We gradually added a rustic looking swing made out of logs, statues, rocks, an arbor, and a couple of redwood mulch paths. We are extremely happy with the results. Our yard is peaceful and full of wildlife. We do not have to pay a gardener anymore and our water bill is a lot less. Our friends, relatives, and neighbors love our yard. They bring their children over to watch the hummingbirds and butterflies.

California Poppies

California poppies are beginning to bloom in Orange County.

Spring Home/Garden Show in Del Mar Starts Today

The 24th annual Garden Show starts today at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The are having some interesting gardening and solar power seminars. They have some coupons and more information available on their website http://www.springhomegardenshow.com.

India Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis Indica)

India Hawthorn shrubs are blooming in Southern California. These are low maintenance shrubs that are drought tolerant. Birds, bee, and butterflies like this plant. This fragrant compact shrub can reach six feet tall.

Butterfly on California Sage Flowers

Butterfly on flowers of California Sage in winter.

Monterey Pine Christmas Tree

We purchased a live Monterey Pine Christmas Tree growing in a pot. This species grows well in Southern California. After Christmas, we donated our tree to a park. We prefer having a live tree in our home, instead of a cut dead tree that dries out. Those dry trees are a fire hazard. The living trees smell wonderful. Some people use the same living tree for several years before planting it.

Evergreen Pear Trees

The Pyrus Kawakamii(Evergreen Pear)is an evergreen tree that grows in an irregular weeping manner to form a canopy. The growth rate for this tree is moderate to fast.
The leaves are dark green and glossy.The new leaves are red and gold. Evergreen Pear Trees in Southern California bloom starting in January. The white flowers are one-inch across and grow in clusters. Large Evergreen Pear Trees can reach thirty feet high and make a thirty foot long canopy.

Drought Tolerant Eco Lawn

This January, we have had hardly any rain and the day time highs have been in the 70s and 80s. Our new eco lawn is still very green and tolerating the hot dry weather nicely.

We seeded the last section of our yard with eco lawn seed last week. The grass is growing well in both shade and sun. Eco lawn is tolerating our big dogs so well that we did not even fence off the last section after applying the eco lawn seeds.

Our new eco lawn will not need to be mowed, because eco lawn is a type of fescue that only grows nine inches long and then folds over, creating a nice surface for dogs and children to play on.

Habanero Peppers

Habanero peppers are delicious and nutritious. These extremely hot peppers contain Vitamin C and capsaicinoids. The capsaicinoid that makes peppers hot is capsaicin, an anticoagulant, which may help prevent blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes. Studies show that capsaicin may facilitate weight loss by decreasing appetite and increasing the metabolic rate of the body. Capsaicin triggers the release of endorphins, so eating hot peppers can make you feel good. Some people claim that eating hot peppers is addictive.

Habaneros can be added to all kinds of recipes to make them spicier. We use habaneros in pasta dishes, spaghetti sauce, homemade barbeque sauce, soups, and omelets.

Habaneros are very hot peppers. You can reduce the heat of your peppers by removing the seeds and ribs. Wear gloves while handling habaneros to prevent the painful experience of getting the oil in your eyes. After chopping habaneros, remove your gloves and wash your hands before touching your eyes or face.

People who experience a burning sensation from eating hot peppers should drink milk rather than water. Milk contains a chemical called casein that attracts capsaicin. Drinking or rinsing with milk will relieve the burn, much better than water.

The habanero plants in our Southern California back yard grow year round. The plants are attractive and fairly easy to grow. If you want to grow habanero plants from seeds, they will require a well-drained soil, heat, and patience. Habanero seeds may take a very long time to germinate.

Fountain Created by Homeowner

This fountain was designed and hand made by the homeowner in Orange County.

Ibis & Crows

The crows in our neighborhood quarrel with hawks and mockingbirds. Crows stick together and defend each other. The ibis is a beautiful large bird with a long beak. The crows in our neighborhood are friendly towards the ibis. Every day we see more ibises grazing with the crows.

Bird of Paradise

Bird of paradise is native to South Africa. In California, we see lots of these beautiful plants growing in flower beds and in pots. Bird of paradise is easy to grow and the official flower of the City of Los Angeles.