In Our Community

The Beams are in the Building!

Please join us this Saturday, August 28 between 12 and 3p for our monthly Community Work + Fun Day at 5166 Sobrante Avenue. Construction is in full swing, but we still have gardening and cleanup projects aplenty for willing volunteers. Please wear sturdy shoes, clothing, and a mask for added community safety. If you have work gloves and favorite gardening tools, bring those too. Or feel free to stop by to see just what’s happening, even if you don’t have time to help.

Is Your Yard Ready for Wildfire Season?

Here is some really helpful and timely information about how to prepare your landscape for wildfire from the 94803 Preparedness Alliance.

Marilyn Saarni, a great local Master Gardener, provides us with a quick guide about what plants are most dangerous in terms of fire safety:

"Within the combined Defensible Zones 0 and 1—0-30 feet of structures—remove all highly flammable plants—juniper, thuja, pine trees, arborvitae, Italian cypress, incense cedar—conifers in general, rosemary, bamboo, broom, brambles (especially blackberry), large bunch grasses (Miscanthus), pampas grass, palm trees, aromatic herbs gone woody, chamise, acacias, eucalyptus, Algerian ivy with undergrowth (in wildfire country you have to cut to the ground 1-2 times a year to reduce woody content and remove flammable debris hiding under leaves—or get rid of it). Better yet, remove all of these from your garden! But if you have questions, ask your local UC Master Gardener Help Desk: ccmg@ucanr.edu

"Along any driveways or potential evacuation paths, make sure you would have clear passage—best to have low, non-flammable plants along these paths, and nothing overhead that could be a risk in the embers that blow mile(s) in front of a wildfire. If you need to clear large shrubs in these areas, firefighters recommend 10 feet of low flammability plantings and clear sight lines (for them as well as for you if you have to evacuate suddenly).

"In these same two zones (Zone 0 and 1) be sure to trim off dead debris, any branches within 10 feet of roofline, and then rake and sweep all dead plant debris and remove. Inspect vines, and remove dead buildup if any. Cut back perennials that have dead blooms (for a lot of these you may get another bloom or two before rains come). And don’t forget to clean your gutters—before you do your sweeping! Peak wildfire season is now.”

Here are some great resources for planting fire-resistant plants in your garden:
Fire-Resistant Landscaping
Oakland Fire Safe Council on Landscaping During the Drought

The Good Table At Home: Site Update + Fire Safety

In Our Community