The devastating Camp Fire of 2018, along with the numerous fires North State residents have experienced since then, have led many of us to focus on creating a defensible fire-resistant landscape around our homes. As noted in this column last Friday, the key to establishing defensible space is to utilize plants that are fire resistant and judiciously space them both horizontally and vertically.
Shrubs that are fire resistant include ceanothus, butterfly bush, spirea, rose of Sharon, Oregon grape, lilac, mock orange, potentilla, forsythia, cotoneaster, island bush poppy, currants, camellia, azalea, monkey flower and viburnum. Aloe and other succulents are generally considered fire-resistant but avoid succulents such as ice plant that produce mats of flammable dry material.
Highly flammable plants often have an excess of fine dry or dead material and contain volatile waxes, terpenes, or oils. Their sap is gummy or resinous and aromatic. They may have loose, papery bark as well. Examples of flammable plants are sagebrush, conifers (cedar, pine, juniper, fir, Italian cypress), broom, rosemary, eucalyptus, palms, feather and fountain grasses and dry annual grasses. These plants should be avoided when planning a firewise landscape; if they already exist in a landscape, consideration should be given to removing them.
For more information on creating fire resistant landscapes, see the Firewise section of our website devoted to this topic.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.
Even when homeowners have created a defensible space, the job of protecting their home from fire is never done. There will always be ongoing and annual jobs to do. Additionally, there are special tasks that will need to be completed every few years or on an as needed basis.
A key ongoing yard maintenance goal is to keep plants green and lush, especially within the 30 feet closest to the home (the “home ignition zone”). Of course this means regular watering, which can be time consuming, but employing a drip irrigation system on a timer largely eliminates that concern. Using appropriate native plants should cut down on the overall need for watering as well.
The ground in the inner 30 feet around a home should also be kept free of leaves, pine needles, weeds and other ground fuels. Dead plants and/or tree branches should be immediately removed, as should any tree branches overhanging the roof. Tree branches should also be kept at least 10 feet away from a chimney. Vines growing on trees, shrubs, or fences can act as fire ladders and should be removed. Roofs and gutters should be kept free of leaves, needles and twigs. Gutter covers can reduce, if not eliminate, fuel build-up in this area.
If raised decks or porches are present, prevent combustible materials from accumulating in the areas beneath them. A preferable alternative to continually raking under decks and porches is to screen or enclose them with fire-resistant materials. If screening is used, the mesh should be no greater than one-quarter-inch. Flammable materials should be cleared from decks. This includes not only natural materials like leaves and needles, but items such as brooms and stacked wood.
Annually, before fire season starts, grasses and weeds should be mowed to a height of about three to four inches for at least 30 feet around homes and other structures. Grasses and weeds should be maintained at this height throughout the fire season. In fact, ground fuels should be kept at a minimum throughout the defensible space. As an alternative to mowing, string trimmers are a safer option for vegetation removal. To reduce the risk of fire due to mowing, make sure your equipment is properly maintained, mow before 10 a.m. and never mow on a hot or windy day.
Vegetation throughout the defensible space should be pruned for proper spacing, both vertically and horizontally, at least once per year. Cal Fire recommends that the lower branches of a mature tree be pruned to create a clearance of three times the height of the shrubs beneath it, while the distance between shrubs should be at least twice the height of the shrubs. In addition to maintaining proper spacing, pruning also makes plants more fire resistant. Cutting back woody perennials encourages less flammable new growth and thinning overgrown shrubs reduces their fuel load. Avoid topping landscape trees. Topping not only increases the fire hazard by encouraging excessive branching, but it is not healthy for trees.
Woodpiles should be located at least 30 feet from a home and should have at least 10 feet of cleared space around them. Covering a woodpile, or storing wood in a fire-resistant structure such as a metal shed, lowers the odds of the pile igniting during a wildfire. In addition, miscellaneous combustible materials including construction debris and brush piles should be removed from your yard as quickly as possible.
To aid firefighters, be sure your address is clearly posted so that it is easily visible from the street, especially at night. Also, be certain firefighters have easy access to water sources in your yard and, if possible, clearly mark those water sources. Fires often lead to power outages, so if you are on a well, it would be prudent to have an emergency generator to operate the pump if the power does fail.
Cal Fire has developed a “Homeowners Checklist” that describes how to make your home fire safe. It is an excellent, easy-to-use, comprehensive guide for homeowners. It is highly recommended. For more information on creating fire-resistant landscapes, see the Firewise Landscape section of the UC Master Gardeners of Butte County website. Other helpful sources include Yard Maintenance by UC Master Gardeners of Sonoma County and defensible space tips by the Butte County Fire Safe Council.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.
Milkweed is a drought-tolerant and deer-resistant perennial plant named for its milky latex sap. It is a great host plant for many beneficial insects including Monarch butterflies, bees, beetles, and lady beetles (ladybugs).
Other native milkweed species that are suitable for our climate are California milkweed (A.californica), woolly milkweed (A.vestita). woollypod milkweed (A. eriocarpa), and heartleaf milkweed (A. cordifolia), which is better suited to the Sierra foothills (2000 ft. elevation). The native milkweed species are not invasive.
Milkweed is the only plant on which the Monarch butterfly will lay eggs. If larvae hatch on your milkweed you might notice the plant's leaves being devoured by the caterpillar. Do not cut it back or pull it up. Once the caterpillar morphs into a butterfly the leaves will grow back.
Home gardeners can aid the Monarch population by adding milkweed to their landscape, pollinator garden, herb garden, or even a patio container. If you own a larger plot of land you might consider letting some of it remain wild, so that the wild nectar producing flowers are available not only for butterflies, but for other pollinators as well.
Milkweed commonly attracts a yellow aphid known as Oleander aphid. This aphid will not destroy the plant and will not infest nearby roses or vegetable gardens. It is plant specific: think of the Oleander aphid as food for the lady beetles. Avoid using pesticides or herbicides that might damage these breeding and feeding areas.
Milkweed is bitter flavored and unpalatable. It is recommended that you do not plant it near livestock as it can be toxic.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.
Nestled in the old mill town of Sterling City at an elevation of 3500 feet is Clotilde Merlo Park, a special place known by only a few. And many of those who do know about this place have never taken a road trip up the Skyway to discover for themselves its 20 acres of natural beauty.
Clotilde, widowed in WWI, left northern Italy for the United States seeking a better life and a decent education for her young son. She met and married Joseph Merlo, an Italian immigrant widower with two young children, and together they built a life in the mountains around the mill. Three boys were born of this union: John, Harry, and Frank. Clotilde ran a boarding house for the Diamond Sawmill. Her children helped with the chores at the boarding house, as well as helping to tend a large vegetable garden, and raising and caring for rabbits, goats, and pigs.
Sterling City was a company town in those days, meaning that housing and food were all purchased from the company. As was so often the case with company towns in industrializing America, many workers and their families became heavily indebted to the company. Their paycheck-to-paycheck existence could not cover debts incurred for daily living expenses. Yet, even with this harsh reality, fond memories of life on the mountain were passed down to family members. These idyllic times of childhood joy are captured in a series of playful bronze sculptures placed throughout the park.
After graduation, Clotilde's second son, Harry, went to work at a lumber company. He eventually became the CEO and president of the Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (when Harry died in 2016, more than one obituary referred to him as “the last of the great timber chiefs”). Harry never forgot his roots, or the life lessons learned from his mother who had a profound influence on his achievements. Harry's character was shaped not only by his mother but also by growing up in Sterling City and the work ethic found around the mill. To honor that legacy, Harry began purchasing land and buying up old homesteads in the area that once housed immigrant Italian families.
In addition to the “no fishing” rule, pets, smoking, swimming, bikes and skateboards are also prohibited. These rules support the quiet, contemplative atmosphere found at the park. The good news is that there are picnic areas, restrooms, a horseshoe pit, and a bocce ball court on site. Sterling City is also noticeably cooler than the valley in the summer months, so a picnic in the park can be a refreshing outing.
For more information and directions to the park, go to Explore Butte County | Clotilde Merlo Park
MASTER GARDENERS PLANT SALE THIS SUNDAY! Mark your calendar for our plant sale onSunday, May 14, 2023 from 9am to noon. The sale will be held at the Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch, 10381 Midway, Durham. The plants, which are selected to thrive in our climate, have been propagated by UC Master Gardeners of Butte County. For more information and a list of the plants that will available, see our website.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.
Living in Butte County, we are blessed with a Mediterranean climate that allows for outdoor activities almost year-round. Not only is the climate accommodating, but most of us in the valley have good soil. And in the foothills, soil can be amended to allow the growth of a wide range of flowers, fruits, vegetables, and shrubs. To top it all off, there is a wealth of experience, guidance, and support to be found in the form of local garden and gardening-related clubs. If you'd like to spend time with others who share your specific gardening interests, or if you have a garden issue you need help with, start with a look at the Butte County clubs and organizations described and listed in alphabetical order below. (Apologies to any clubs that have been inadvertently omitted). Please note that most of these clubs do not meet during some of the summer months).
Butte Rose Society (BRS)
Dedicated to the enjoyment of roses, the Butte Rose Society is an affiliate of the American Rose Society and the Northern California Nevada Hawaii District (a Benefactor Patron of the American Rose Society). Membership is open to all rose lovers and guests are welcomed at the general meetings which are held on the last Tuesday of each month from August through May at 7:00 p.m. at the Chico Veterans Memorial Hall, 554 Rio Lindo Avenue, Chico.
A much-awaited event each January is the annual BRS pruning fundraiser, which has a waiting list of homeowners with roses who are eager to benefit from the pruning aid and expertise of the club's members. The fundraiser supports the annual rose show, as well as membership meeting expenses. Consulting Rosarians are also available to answer rose-related questions and concerns. For more information, go to the Society's website.
Chico Horticultural Society
Organized in May of 1921, Chico Horticultural Society (commonly referred to as “Chico Hort”) is one of the oldest horticultural societies in the state. It is also a charter member of California Garden Clubs Inc., California's state-wide horticultural society founded in 1931.
Club members plant and maintain gardens at the Chico Library, the City Plaza's Veterans Garden, and the flowerbeds at the Chico History Museum at Salem and 2nd Streets. Chico Hort's annual plant and flower sale at the Home and Garden Show in April raises money for the School Gardening Program, a project that provides grants for school gardens and other horticulture-related school projects.
Meetings are held on the third Monday of each month from September through June at the Butte County Library, 1108 Sherman Avenue, Chico. Meetings are open to the public and visitors can participate in any or all portions of the meetings. The upcoming meeting on May 15 will begin with social time at 11:30 am, followed by the business meeting from 12:00-1:00, and the guest speaker from 1:00-2:00 pm. The speaker will be Emma Harris of Pine Creek Flowers, a two-acre flower farm in Chico.
Green Thumb Garden Club of Gridley
Meeting the third Thursday of the month from 9:30-11:00 am, the Green Thumb Garden Club of Gridley presents programs on gardening, houseplant selection and care, and other horticultural topics pertinent to the local area. Meetings are held at the Orchard Hospital Medical Specialty Building, 284 Spruce Street, Gridley.
The club is offering a local scholarship to a Gridley High School graduate who has taken a floral design or horticulture class and plans to study either horticulture or floral design at a two- or four-year college.
Lake Oroville Area Garden Club
Meeting on the second Thursday of each month from September through June, the Lake Oroville Area Garden Club is gearing up for their major fundraiser of the year. The free event, located at Sank Park, 1067 Montgomery Street in Oroville is billed as the 11th annual “Garden Gift Sale in the Gazebo.” Succulents planted in decorative planters are offered for sale to the public, as well as annuals, perennials, birdhouses, yard art, Atlas gloves, and raffle baskets.
Monthly meetings begin with social time from 9:30-10:00 am followed by an educational presentation or workshop. A short business meeting wraps it all up. Meetings are held at the Trinity Presbyterian Fellowship Hall, 2350 Foothill Boulevard, Oroville.
Leo T. Clark Iris Society
Magalia Beautification Association (MBA)
Beginning in 1997, Magalia residents Dolores Crum, Trudy Tweedt, Clarice Wert, and Jean Jessop wanted to spruce up the Magalia Post Office. Their efforts were so successful that they next turned their attention to Fire Station #33. Thus the Magalia Beautification Association was born. The first public meeting was held on June 23, 1997. Those two initial civic gardens led to the sixteen gardens and various small plots that MBA now maintains throughout Magalia.
Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at the POA Racine Center in Magalia. Meetings begin with lunch at 12:30, with the business portion of the meeting following, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. For more information, go to the organization's website.
North Valley Orchid Society
An affiliate of the American Orchid Society, the North Valley Orchid Society meets formally every other month at the Butte County Library, 1108 Sherman Ave, Chico. On the alternate months Society members tour orchid collections at member's homes, commercial greenhouses, and other places of interest. The next meeting will be held on May 9, 2023 at 7:00 pm. Members enjoy swapping plants, displaying their orchids, attending lectures by leading local and national orchid authorities, and, of course, “meeting and mixing” with other orchid enthusiasts. Membership is open to novice, advanced, and commercial growers.
Paradise Garden Club Inc (PGCI)
The annual Paradise Garden Tour is scheduled for June 3rd and 4th, 2023 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Titled “Watch Us Grow,” the self-guided tour of privately-owned gardens in Paradise is always a fun and educational event. The tour hub, located at the Paradise Irrigation District office on Clark Road, will host a Plant Sale and Gardener's Boutique. Tickets are $20 and available at local nurseries. Proceeds from the tour provide scholarships for Butte College agriculture students.
Chico Bonsai Society
Local practitioners of this ancient art meet on the second Sunday of each month at the Chico branch of the Butte County Library, 1108 Sherman Avenue, at 10:30 am. Meetings cover a wide variety of topics, from plant cultivation and care to the styling and staging of specimen plants. Meetings often also include a round table discussion of unusual and unique plants, and conclude with a raffle and silent auction of bonsai plant material. For more details, see the group's website.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County
And of course, there is great companionship, knowledge, and problem solving with Master Gardeners too!
MASTER GARDENERS PLANT SALE! Mark your calendar for our plant sale on Sunday, May 14, 2023 from 9 am to noon. The sale will be held at the Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch, 10381 Midway, Durham. The plants, which are selected to thrive in our climate, have been propagated by UC Master Gardeners of Butte County. For more information and a list of the plants that will available, see our website.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.
