The Fire-Smart Sanctuary
-
April 2021
-
For ideas, visit the Serenity Garden at Falkirk in San Rafael. Here a juniper was removed and repurposed as sculpture. Photo: Alice CasonHere’s a fire-smart tip-create a fire-smart sanctuary. By using sustainable and earth-friendly garden practices, your garden can be a place for pollinators and insects to travel through, making it a wildlife corridor.
- The UC Marin Master Gardeners have plant lists to help homeowners select attractive, easy-care, water-wise, and pollinator-friendly plants. California natives are a good choice that include important host and nectar plants.
- Remove invasive plants. Unfortunately excessive clearing or “scorched earth” gardening provides a vulnerable entry point for the plants we do not want.
- When problems arrive, use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for the least toxic and most natural methods of pest management. Avoid pesticides that can harm birds and other wildlife.
- Nurture the soil to protect the life in it. Add compost and organic materials rather than synthetic fertilizers.
Make your garden sustainable, healthy and fire-smart. For plant lists visit http://marinmg.ucanr.edu/PLANTS/. For more information visit http://marinmg.ucanr.edu/FIRESMARTLANDSCAPING/ and ipm.ucanr.edu.
- The UC Marin Master Gardeners have plant lists to help homeowners select attractive, easy-care, water-wise, and pollinator-friendly plants. California natives are a good choice that include important host and nectar plants.
